1575

A sign of destiny: in 1575, a law had been passed in Riquewihr permitting only noble vines to be planted and winegrowers who planted inferior varieties were heavily fined.

1639

The first Hugels who can be traced, lived at Dannemarie, to the south west of Mulhouse. Their descendant Hans-Ulrich left his village as the Thirty Years War (1618-48) ravaged the countryside.
In 1639, he decided to settle in Riquewihr, a small, fortified town nestling in a hollow, surrounded by vineyards and forests.

XIXth

The Napoleonic Wars and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 caused the steady decline of the Alsace wine region.
By the late 19th century, the ravages caused by insect pests and by cryptogamic diseases made the situation desperate.

1918

In 1918, Alsace was restored to France. This happy event prompted the winegrowers to redefine their production policy. The Hugels decided on a policy of "quality first". They aimed to recreate the noble wines of the past. They considered that this was the only way to affirm the personality of Alsace wines, to attract the French consumer and, in due course, to interest foreign markets.

1921

Thanks to the excellent vintages of 1921, 1928 and 1929, the reputation of the quality of Alsace wines was definitively re-established in France and, at last, it was possible to think of increasing the volume of wines sold abroad.

1932

Of course, the company had begun very early to export but it was only from 1932 onwards that it was possible to make a concerted effort to prospect overseas markets systematically.

London was the most important centre for the international wine trade. So, having established a solid reputation in London, the old family from Riquewihr was able to gain a foothold, first in the countries of the Commonwealth and then throughout the world