End of an era today as Hugel announce the death of André Hugel, who achieved so much.
I knew his son Etienne (who died tragically young a couple of years ago) far better, but André was always a presence in the cellars in Riquewihr.
But, at 92, a life well-lived.
Famille Hugel:
"It is with great sadness that we announce the death of André Hugel on Monday, August 15, at the age of 92. He leaves us with the memory of an incredibly full life, unfailing devotion to the family history and unlimited tenderness towards his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Spending a few, lazy hours in the picturesque streets of Riquewihr with André Hugel, and pushing open the doors of our centuries-old cellars was like setting out on an exploration of the extraordinary terroirs of Alsace and the history of our wonderful region. André was the 11th generation of our family rooted in the Riquewihr (Haut-Rhin) wine-growing area since 1639. The estate is currently run by Marc, Marc-André and Jean-Frédéric Hugel, the 12th and 13th generations.
After training in Beaune and Geisenheim, André Hugel (born on August 19th, 1929) joined very early the family firm and, together with his two brothers, helped it grow. He kept working until his last days and contributed greatly to the dynamism of Hugel & Fils in recent years as a fervent defender of two, highly-symbolic cuvées with a strong, Alsatian character: Grossi Laüe, which means “the best vineyards” in the Alsatian dialect, and Schoelhammer. These are now the leading products of the estate, alongside the iconic Vendange Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles.
Also president of the Riquewihr Archaeological Society since 1978 and of the Museum of Alsace Wines and Vineyards since 1979, he was Grand Master of the Confrérie Saint-Etienne wine guild in 1985, Deputy Major of Riquewihr from 1989 to 1995 and municipal councillor from 1995 to 2001. Aside from his passion for the history of wine-growing in Alsace, André Hugel was also deeply interested in Alsatians conscripted against their will into the German army in World War II. His research in this field led to several publications.
Last night on Hamilton Island so a fantastic dinner to ease the pain of leaving. The Leeuwin Chardonnay was the highlight for me, a glorious combination of minerality and fruit and a real delight.
Pink has been consumed in considerable quantities here too. The Chapel Down at just 11% is very drinkable. And now a case of the Wine Society own label from Spain equally tasty. Plus bubbles of course. Now weather has broken shall see if they are still enjoyable
We drink many of our reds quite chilled. They come out of the wine cabinet at 55, or so, degrees and after I’ve decanted it off the sediment and let it aerate for awhile, I’ll pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to get it back down to cellar temp. It always warms while we drink it of course. I love the way it changes as we drink it. Many people drink reds too warm and whites too cold.
I wish we could get the variety of wines that you get. We do get some very nice wines in Canada, just limited selection compared to the rest of the world.
I agree that many reds served too warm - about 17-18C is ‘room temperature’. But I particularly like those low tannin reds (gamay, Cabernet franc and some PN’s) that you can properly chill in a heatwave!
I put the reds in the fridge for an hour or so here and aim for 16 degrees in the hot summer months. I keep meaning to get a small wine fridge but both cost ( why are simple wine fridges so expensive) and somewhere to put it have stopped me.
“Room Temperature” is a phrase developed by English people prior to central heating. As opposed to ‘cellar temperature’.
Apart from anything else, it depended where in the room you were, and where in the world (empire) that room was, and at what time of year.
It is well worth ignoring. Drink the wine at the temperature you prefer - you cannot be wrong. To my taste, the ideal is always cooler than the ambient temperature, and in hot weather by quite a lot. You can always warm a glass of wine up with your hand, but you can’t cool it down. Unless you’re one of the lizard people, obvs.
My father’s preferred tipple was Rioja, which he would leave to breathe (or cook) on the back of the Aga for a couple of hours, so he drank it tepid. I didn’t inherit his preference, although I do tend to prefer most reds at actual UK room temperature, so perhaps a little warmer than many would choose.
I heard someone recently say that pudding wine should be served at “doorstep temperature”, which I thought was a lovely evocative description, but even more prone to massive swings in temperature than “room temperature”!
