The name Dopff has long been associated with the town of Riquewihr, which is classed one of the most beautiful villages of France. During the Second World War,

René Dopff decided to leave home to join the Alsace-Lorraine brigade of the Free French Forces, where he became friends with André Malraux, who was later to become France's Minister of Culture under President Charles de Gaulle.  

At the end of the war, two of the biggest names in viticulture in Riquewihr, René Dopff and the widow Irion, joined forces to found Dopff & Irion. One of their first decisions was to acquire Riquewihr's historic chateau. René Dopff was an emblematic and prestigious wine producer who, for several decades, had a huge influence on the vineyards of Alsace by putting the emphasis on quality (by reducing yields, for example) and modernising the labels. He was, above all, the first to associate a particular grape variety with a terroir and with specific soils.