Dopff & Irion
The vineyards of the winery Dopff & Irion can be found in the picturesque village of Riquewihr in Alsace. Before the domain came into the hands of Dopff & Irion, it belonged to the Württemberg dukes. At the end of the Second World War, Mrs. Irion and Mr. Dopff decided to join forces and this is how Dopff & Irion was born.
The vineyard area covers almost thirty hectares, which is quite large for this region. More than 60% of the winegrowers in Alsace own less than one hectare. The plots are oriented to the south, so that the grapes can catch optimal sunlight. To the west are the Vosges Mountains, which ensures optimal ripening conditions for Alsace. The work in the vineyard is aimed at finding the perfect balance between the grape variety and the terroir. The planting consists of 35% riesling, 30% gewürztraminer, 25% pinot gris and the other hectares are planted with pinot noir and muscat. The vines are on average 25 years old. The winery owns parts of several Grand Cru vineyards: Schoenenbourg, Vorbourg and Goldert.
In the vineyard, the grapes are carefully selected for quality and ripeness and are then picked by hand. The grapes are fermented at a low temperature in stainless-steel tanks. Most wines are then matured sur lie for a few months. One of the most famous wines of Dopff & Irion is still the Les Murailles.
In 2002 Dopff & Irion was voted French wine producer of the year in the international Wine & Spirit Competition. It didn't stop there, because in 2016 the winery was named the best producer in France during the Austrian Wine Challenge in Vienna. The best vintages of this winery are: 1971, 1976, 1983, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010.
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