#dopffirion

Welcome back to our blog series, “The Dish On”! Explore our restaurant participants and sponsors, meet the chefs, and whet your appetite for à la carte 2017! This week, #TheDishOn celebrates our gold sponsor, Dopff & Irion Winery. We are thrilled to have this leading Alsatian wine producer as a proud sponsor of the third annual à la carte French Food Festival!

500 years of wine-making experience at Dopff & Irion makes them one of the most trusted and celebrated wine producers in all of France. Nestled in the heart of winemaking country in Alsace Haut-Rhin, Dopff-Irion originated with the marriage of two of Alsace’s wine families, the Irions and the Dopffs. Today, the historic firm -- with 68 acres of vines and 5 estates -- keeps its cellar and tasting room at the historic Château de Riquewihr, a castle once owned by the Princes of Wurtemberg. Indeed, Dopff & Irion provides wine to the modern-day equivalent of their estate’s former owners: René Dopff has supplied wines to the Palais de L’Elysee, the French president’s residence.

Established in 1945, René Dopff expanded the vineyard to encompass five grape varieties: Les Murailles (Riesling), Les Sorcières (Gewurtraminer), Les Maquisards (Pinot Gris), Les Amandiers (Muscat), and Les Tonnelles (Pinot Noir). Inspired by the past but looking to the future of winemaking, Dopff emphasized the terroir and dedicated each estate to the creation of the finest wines using these five noble grape varieties. The winery also produces table wines, sparkling Crémant d’Alsace, and the rare Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles. In privileging wine quality, modernizing production techniques, and emphasizing soil and resource quality in the vineyards, Dopff & Irion created a reputation as an iconic and prestigious wine producer.

Dopff & Irion values their long history and seeks to maintain the legacy of their Alsatian winemaking forbears. With their participation in à la carte 2017, Dopff & Irion extends their commitment to the appreciation of French wine, and Alsace, across the world.

For more information on à la carte 2017 Gold Sponsor Dopff & Irion, visit their website: http://alacarte.city/2ujTszC.