A family story

The birth of estate

Alsace wines were among the most expensive and renowned in Europe in the Middle Ages. Unfortunately, a long war in the 17th century decimated the vineyards and the Alsatian population and ended this prosperous times. At this period, the BUECHER family arrived from Switzerland to settle on the Alsatian land, in Wettolsheim in particular.

Like all the Alsatian vine-growers, the BUECHER were taking care of the vineyards on the hillsides, and the plain were dedicated to other farming. The harvest or the bulk wines were sold to wine merchants who were marketing the bottles at this period. Some awards that are more than hundred years old, show that the quality has always been a priority for the family.

The marriage of Paul and Joséphine BUECHER in 1952 sealed the fate of the estate. Gathering their inheritance, they were able to produce wine on 5 hectares and abandoned gradually the other cultures. During this years, the first winegrowers refused to give their production to the wholesalers and decided to bottle and sell the wines themselves. The first vintage labeled at the domain Paul BUECHER is 1959 !

A permanent growth

At this period, the Alsatian wine production recovers its prestige thanks to a quality policy. The delimiting of the vineyard region and strictly defining production methods are going to lead to the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée in 1962.

The surface of the estate Paul BUECHER increases little by little and he finds enough customers to sell all the production in bottle. Henri and Jean-Marc, the two sons, set up on the wine-farm as they are 18 years old and they contribute to its modernization. End of the seventies, the vineyard is about 15 ha shared out on 6 villages around Wettolsheim.

In 1978, they are among the firsts to get involved in the elaboration of Crémant d’Alsace. It is a masterstroke : in 1985, the Paul BUECHER cremant is named best cremant in France by the magazine GaultMillau. The Cremant is then going to represent more than one third of the production thanks to the planting of two vineyards in Colmar and Walbach.

From 1990, the terroir wines become a priority for the BUECHER family. Henri and Jean-Marc acquire some plots of vines on the famous terroirs of the Brand, Sommerberg, Heimbourg, Rotenberg… to complete the historical parcels of the Hengst. They spend a few years to put an exigent viticulture in place and today the results respond to their expectations.

Jérôme, Henri’s son, joins the firm in 2004 : It’s the first appearance of the third generation. The BUECHER choose that moment to begin the planting of a new vineyard, 40 km from the cradle of the estate : Leimbach, first village of the Alsace wine route.