The Mosel winds from Trier to Koblenz, with vineyards on slate slopes that are sometimes so steep everything has to be done by hand. Riesling grows almost everywhere, from bone-dry to sweet, with little alcohol and plenty of acidity. From the Netherlands it is four to five hours away. Below are the addresses, from upstream to downstream.
Mosel Riesling
The best vineyards are on south-facing slopes along the river, where the water and the dark slate hold the warmth. The label often tells you how ripe the grapes were: Kabinett is light and fresh, Spätlese and Auslese riper and often a little sweeter. If you want a dry wine, look for the word trocken. The tributaries Saar and Ruwer are part of the region too. There the Riesling is often even tauter.
Trier and the Ruwer
On the market square in Trier, looking out on the cathedral, Kesselstatt has a Weinstube. You taste Riesling from famous vineyards of the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer side by side, such as Piesporter Goldtröpfchen and Bernkasteler Doctor. Bagatelle is right on the Mosel, with a terrace by the water and a list full of Riesling. Just outside Trier, on the Ruwer, lies Maximin Grünhaus, where wine has been made for almost 2,000 years, first by the Romans and then by monks. Since 1882 the estate has belonged to the Von Schubert family.
Bernkastel-Kues
Bernkastel is the prettiest wine town on the Mosel, with half-timbered houses and the Bernkasteler Doctor above the centre. Dr. Loosen is on the World's 50 Best Vineyards list and has vineyards in the famous sites around Bernkastel. Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler has fifteen plots between Brauneberg and Erden. Every Saturday at four there is a tasting with an explanation, in English too. To eat, go to Graacher Tor in the medieval centre. The owner comes round the tables to help you with the wine.
Traben-Trarbach and Cochem
In Traben-Trarbach, at Die Mosel Vinothek on the promenade, you can taste, buy and eat, and stay the night. In Cochem the Hieronimi family has welcomed guests for more than 35 years in vaulted cellars by the river. In the Weingarten you sit in deckchairs by the water, looking up at the Reichsburg.
Tip
Don't drive the whole Mosel in one day: the road follows every bend of the river. Choose a base such as Bernkastel, and take the bike or the boat to the villages nearby. All addresses are also in the Mosel guide.
