Faithful to family tradition since 1760, the Hugg family has spread its reputation for fine wines to the four corners of the earth. The family is proudly devoted to the art of producing fine wines and takes pleasure in passing on the fruits of their knowledge of Alsace wines to wine and food lovers around the world. This generation now includes Françoise, who has added her experiences living in Monterey, California and is married to an American.

 

Based in Bergheim, Marcel Hugg’s vineyards cover more than 25 hectares of vines in a region especially favored by nature. This includes owning vines in one of the most renown Grand Crus of Alsace-the Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim. While traditional methods of winemaking have been rigorously maintained, the Hugg family also uses the most up-to-date equipment. This marriage of old and new enables the family to offer a prestigious marriage of fine wines among the best wines that the French government has distinguished with the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée label.

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As has been the trend for several years, the weather in 2023 has raised questions among the 438 members of Synvira regarding the future of winemaking. The recently harvest, except for certain plots saved for late harvest, is expected to confirm a smaller Riesling crop. This iconic Alsace variety seems to be the most sensitive to climate change. It is struggling with high temperatures, resulting in smaller grape clusters. In less favorable conditions, some winegrowers had to settle for meager yields of 10 to 20 hectoliters per hectare. Even the best yields did not exceed 55 hectoliters per hectare, far below this year's allowance of 75 hectoliters per hectare. In contrast, Pinot Noir had an exceptional year, producing large and dense clusters of grapes. "Our current climate resembles that of Burgundy two decades ago. This presents a historic opportunity for Alsace to compete with Burgundy reds," explains Francis Backert, the President of Synvira. Therefore, the focus is not on hasty planting but rather on the swift identification of terroirs suitable for this grape variety, with the goal of capitalizing on increased value in the future, even if the current yield (60 hectoliters per hectare in the Alsace appellation, 55 hectoliters per hectare in lieu-dit) should potentially be reduced to, for instance, 40 hectoliters (5 million bottles) per hectare.&nbsp;
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Optimism lies in Cr&eacute;mant, which could potentially counterbalance declining vitality of vineyards. With nearly 200 vineyards ceasing operations each year, the number of harvest declarations may soon drop below 3,000. Concurrently, the number of market participants has already fallen below 700, currently at 697. This trend reflects a lack of sufficient financial incentive for new entrants. "The cost of land is increasingly disconnected from income per hectare. For instance, it's no longer economically viable to produce Gew&uuml;rztraminer," Francis Backert laments. However, economic appeal is vital to stimulate new ventures. On a brighter note, Cr&eacute;mant sales appear to be revitalizing the vineyard. In 2023, approximately 8% more Cr&eacute;mant was harvested than in 2022, which equates to around 300,000 hectoliters. This volume represents nearly 30% of the expected harvest for this year.&nbsp;
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Source: Vitisph&egrave;re
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