In 1639 Hans-Ulrich Hugel left Switzerland following the 30 Years War and settled in the picturesque town of Riquewhir in Alsace, a beautiful French land bordering Germany. Here the cultivation of the vines begins, but with the passing of the centuries calamities such as phylloxera, the revolution and wars follow one another, which causes the Region to experience a decline in crops and a decline in the quality of wines.

In 1902, Èmile Hugel settled in the medieval center of the town in buildings from the 16th century, where the Hugel cellars are still located today. After the first great war, Alsace returned to France, and this allowed winegrowers to replant quality beards. This beautiful borderland is the second driest area in the French region, its peculiar climate ripens the grapes slowly and makes it perfect for producing great intense wines, rich in aroma and particularities.

The expansion of the company covers about 30 hectares, and is the result of the hard work and dedication of thirteen generations, who have constantly and expertly dealt with its growth. The winemakers with soils similar in composition to the Hugel estate have become business partners, taking care of and cultivating another hundred hectares of vineyards. The family's vineyards extend over the Grand Cru slopes that surround the country, and according to their golden rule "the wine is already in the grapes", they cultivate the Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir grape varieties.

In the careful care of the vines, no chemical fertilizers are used, the yields are kept very low to favor the quality of the berry, and the harvest is done manually. Preferring the most ancestral and traditional methods, in the cellar the grapes undergo a light pressing and only the free-run must is processed, using at the same time the most modern techniques available.

Aging for at least two years takes place in the underground rooms; here the famous labels take shape and become the undisputed symbol of the greatest Alsatian wine tradition.

Currently the company is managed by Jean-Phillippe, Marc and Etien Hugel, and in the splendid cellar there are centuries-old oak barrels still in use, such as the "S. Caterina “from 1715 which is still in use, and is considered the oldest in the world by the Guinness Book of Records.