Mosel (wine region) - Revision history

imported>Shredlordsupreme: clarified (based on the source coming out in 2015), copyedits

2025-08-17T21:19:25Z

clarified (based on the source coming out in 2015), copyedits

← Previous revision		Revision as of 21:19, 17 August 2025
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	The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, [[Saar River\|Saar]], and [[Ruwer River\|Ruwer]] from near the mouth of the Mosel at [[Koblenz]] and upstream to the vicinity of [[Trier]] in the federal state of [[Rhineland-Palatinate]]. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65[[Degree symbol\|°]] [[Degree (angle)\|degrees]] [[Inclination\|incline]], the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the ''Calmont'' vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of [[Bremm]], and therefore referred to as ''Bremmer Calmont''.<ref>[http://bremm.info/fl_xga.htm?/calmont.htm Der Bremmer Calmont].</ref><ref name="MacNeil pp 532-535">K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'', pp. 532-535. Workman Publishing 2001 {{ISBN\|1-56305-434-5}}.</ref> The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the [[Riesling]] [[grape]], but [[Elbling]] and [[Müller-Thurgau]] also contribute to the production, among others.		The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, [[Saar River\|Saar]], and [[Ruwer River\|Ruwer]] from near the mouth of the Mosel at [[Koblenz]] and upstream to the vicinity of [[Trier]] in the federal state of [[Rhineland-Palatinate]]. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65[[Degree symbol\|°]] [[Degree (angle)\|degrees]] [[Inclination\|incline]], the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the ''Calmont'' vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of [[Bremm]], and therefore referred to as ''Bremmer Calmont''.<ref>[http://bremm.info/fl_xga.htm?/calmont.htm Der Bremmer Calmont].</ref><ref name="MacNeil pp 532-535">K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'', pp. 532-535. Workman Publishing 2001 {{ISBN\|1-56305-434-5}}.</ref> The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the [[Riesling]] [[grape]], but [[Elbling]] and [[Müller-Thurgau]] also contribute to the production, among others.

	In the ~~past two decades~~ red wine production, especially from the ''Spätburgunder'' ([[Pinot noir]]), ~~has~~ increased in the Mosel and throughout the German wine-growing regions ~~and has become~~ of increasing interest to the international wine community.<ref>Joel B. Payne, ed., ''Gault und Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2015''; Munich: [[Christian Verlag]], {{ISBN\|978-3-86244-686-5}}, p. 88.</ref> Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower [[alcohol (drug)\|alcohol]], [[crisp (wine)\|crisp]] and high in [[acidity]], and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor.<ref>Braatz. Dieter et al; ''Wine Atlas of Germany''; Berkeley: University of California Press, 2014, {{ISBN\|9780520260672}}, pp. 43-45.</ref> In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe.<ref>Pigott, Stuart et al., ''Wein Spricht Deutsch'', Frankfurt: Scherz (part of S. Fischer Verlag), 2007, pp. 419, 442, ''passim''.</ref>		Since the mid 1990's, red wine production, especially from the ''Spätburgunder'' ([[Pinot noir]]), had increased in the Mosel and throughout the German wine-growing regions, becoming of increasing interest to the international wine community.<ref>Joel B. Payne, ed., ''Gault und Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2015''; Munich: [[Christian Verlag]], {{ISBN\|978-3-86244-686-5}}, p. 88.</ref> Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower [[alcohol (drug)\|alcohol]], [[crisp (wine)\|crisp]] and high in [[acidity]], and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor.<ref>Braatz. Dieter et al; ''Wine Atlas of Germany''; Berkeley: University of California Press, 2014, {{ISBN\|9780520260672}}, pp. 43-45.</ref> In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe.<ref>Pigott, Stuart et al., ''Wein Spricht Deutsch'', Frankfurt: Scherz (part of S. Fischer Verlag), 2007, pp. 419, 442, ''passim''.</ref>

	==History==		==History==

170.173.0.16: /* Viticulture */

2025-03-21T11:13:50Z

Viticulture

New page

{{Short description|German wine region}}
[[Image:080110 zell mosel.JPG|thumb|right|260px|A steep vineyard overlooking the Mosel River]]
'''Mosel''' ({{IPA|de|ˈmoːzl̩|lang|De-Mosel.ogg}}) is one of 13 [[German wine#Regions|German wine regions]] (''Weinbaugebiete'') for [[German wine classification#Quality categories|quality wines (''Qualitätswein'', formerly ''QbA'' and ''Prädikatswein'')]], and takes its name from the [[Moselle|Mosel River]] ({{langx|fr|Moselle}}; [[Luxembourgish]]: ''Musel''). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called '''Mosel-Saar-Ruwer''', but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly.<ref>The wine-growing region ''Mosel-Saar-Ruwer'' had been renamed '''Mosel''' on 1 August 2007. [http://dipbt.bundestag.de/dip21/brd/2006/0539-06.pdf].</ref><ref>[https://www.winetourism.com/wine-region/mosel-wine-region/ Winetourism, May 5, 2022: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer shortens name to Mosel].</ref> The wine region is [[Germany]]'s third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.<ref name="Robinson pp 264-265">J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Course'' Third Edition, pp. 264-265. Abbeville Press 2003 {{ISBN|0-7892-0883-0}}.</ref>

The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, [[Saar River|Saar]], and [[Ruwer River|Ruwer]] from near the mouth of the Mosel at [[Koblenz]] and upstream to the vicinity of [[Trier]] in the federal state of [[Rhineland-Palatinate]]. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65[[Degree symbol|°]] [[Degree (angle)|degrees]] [[Inclination|incline]], the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the ''Calmont'' vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of [[Bremm]], and therefore referred to as ''Bremmer Calmont''.<ref>[http://bremm.info/fl_xga.htm?/calmont.htm Der Bremmer Calmont].</ref><ref name="MacNeil pp 532-535">K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'', pp. 532-535. Workman Publishing 2001 {{ISBN|1-56305-434-5}}.</ref> The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the [[Riesling]] [[grape]], but [[Elbling]] and [[Müller-Thurgau]] also contribute to the production, among others.

In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the ''Spätburgunder'' ([[Pinot noir]]), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German wine-growing regions and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community.<ref>Joel B. Payne, ed., ''Gault und Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2015''; Munich: [[Christian Verlag]], {{ISBN|978-3-86244-686-5}}, p. 88.</ref> Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]], [[crisp (wine)|crisp]] and high in [[acidity]], and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor.<ref>Braatz. Dieter et al; ''Wine Atlas of Germany''; Berkeley: University of California Press, 2014, {{ISBN|9780520260672}}, pp. 43-45.</ref> In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe.<ref>Pigott, Stuart et al., ''Wein Spricht Deutsch'', Frankfurt: Scherz (part of S. Fischer Verlag), 2007, pp. 419, 442, ''passim''.</ref>

==History==
[[Image:Porta Nigra morgens (100MP).jpg|left|thumb|The Roman [[Porta Nigra]] was one of four city gates around Trier.]]
It is believed that [[viticulture]] was brought to this area by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] who planted vineyards along the Mosel and the [[Rhine]] in order to have a local source of wine for their [[garrison]]s. The cost of transporting wine up from the [[Italian Peninsula]] or across the [[Vosges Mountains]] and the Roman vineyards in [[Gaul]] was very high and impractical. The Romans considered creating a [[canal]] between the [[Saône]] and the Rhine before ultimately deciding to plant vines in the area. [[Trier]] (founded 16 BC) was a major Roman outpost and it is likely that the first Mosel vineyards were planted in the surrounding hillsides sometime in the 2nd century. Viticulture was certainly flourishing in the area by the 4th century when the Roman poet [[Ausonius]] wrote a poem about the beauty of the land at [[harvest (wine)|harvest]] time.<ref name="Johnson pp 87-95">H. Johnson ''Vintage: The Story of Wine'' pp. 87–95, Simon and Schuster 1989 {{ISBN|0-671-68702-6}}.</ref>

The Mosel wine of the Roman period was described as light bodied and "austere". It was said to be an easier drinking wine than that of other Roman areas. In the winter time, the wine was heated in a kettle and drunk like a [[tea]] (a practice that still has some tradition among modern vineyard workers who drink it like [[coffee]],{{clarify|date=December 2017}} often with a little sugar added). In warmer [[vintage]]s the wine was noticeably more fruity and [[sweetness of wine|sweet]]. This was because the warmth allowed the grapes to more fully [[ripen (wine)|ripen]] and develop more [[sugars (wine)|sugars]]. During the cold autumn the [[fermentation (wine)|fermentation]] process would not be fully complete because of the low temperature, thus leaving the wine with high levels of [[residual sugar]]s.<ref name="Johnson pp 113-118">H. Johnson ''Vintage: The Story of Wine'', pp. 113–118. Simon and Schuster 1989 {{ISBN|0-671-68702-6}}.</ref>

[[Image:De Merian Mainz Trier Köln 056.jpg|right|thumb|260px|The wine village Bernkastel in 1646 (upper picture)]]
In the [[Middle Ages]], villages sprung up that were centered on the region's wine industry. These "wine villages", known as ''"Winzerdörfer"'', included paths from the town center up to the area's vineyards. At the center was a community [[wine cellar]] where all the area's growers could store their wines. Probably most well known among the ''Winzerdörfer'' was the village of Bernkastel which was granted town rights in 1291.<ref name="Johnson pp 113-118"/> In 1435 when Count [[Johann IV, Count of Katzenelnbogen|Johann IV]] of [[County of Katzenelnbogen|Katzenelnbogen]] planted [[Riesling]]<ref>http://www.graf-von-katzenelnbogen.de/ ''The Mosel, the Counts of Katzenelnbogen and the First Riesling of the World''.</ref> in the nearby town of [[Rüsselsheim]] the first time he owned vineyards in Winningen like ''the Destil'', in Burgen and Kochem one half of the city and many vineyards more along the Mosel. In order to create more suitable land for vineyards, vineyard owners in the 16th century used [[explosives]] to break up the vertical [[Spur (mountain)|spurs]] of rock along the rivers.<ref name="Oxford pp 456-458">J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition, pp. 456–458, Oxford University Press 2006 {{ISBN|0-19-860990-6}}.</ref>

Towards the end of the 17th century, the Kunda began to be identified more with wine made from the Riesling grape. The [[St. Maximin's Abbey, Trier|St. Maximin's Abbey]] in Trier owned 74 vineyards and by 1695 had over 100,000 Riesling vines. Today the vineyard of Maximin Grünhaus is considered one of the best Riesling vineyards in all of Germany. In the 18th century, the [[Archbishopric of Trier|Prince-elector]] of Trier, [[Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony]], mandated that over a seven-year period every vine in the Mosel area was to be Riesling only. The rise of the [[House of Hanover]] in [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] saw a period of increase [[exportation]] of "moselle wine" to England. However, the wine's high price kept the wines mostly in the hands of the Royal court and English nobility rather than replacing [[claret]] in the village taverns.<ref name="Johnson pp 288-296">H. Johnson ''Vintage: The Story of Wine'', pp. 288–296, Simon and Schuster 1989 {{ISBN|0-671-68702-6}}.</ref>

The 19th century saw an unprecedented era of prosperity for the Mosel wine industry under the rule of [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] starting with the historic vintage of 1819. For the rest of the 1820s, there was a succession of outstanding weather and sterling wines produced. To promote the region's wine, the Prussian government lowered the [[tariff]]s for the import of Mosel wines to other regions of the Prussian kingdom. The development of the [[Zollverein]] customs union even further benefited the Mosel by reducing the customs on their wines traveling to other regions of the [[German Confederation]]. A string of bad weather vintages in the late 1830s and early 1840s would dampen the extent of prosperity that the Mosel would see.<ref name="Johnson pp 388-396">H. Johnson ''Vintage: The Story of Wine'' pp. 388–396, Simon and Schuster 1989 {{ISBN|0-671-68702-6}}.</ref>

By the 1850s, wine-makers in the Mosel had discovered the benefits of [[chaptalization]] in helping to compensate for bad weather vintages and under ripened grapes. Another significant boom came a couple decades later when the British Prime Minister [[William Ewart Gladstone]] lowered the [[Duty (economics)|duties]] on light wine which opened up the British market to lower cost Mosel wines. This increased prosperity had the net effect of encouraging more quantity in production rather than quality. Many areas that were not ideal for Riesling were soon planted with the easier to grow Müller-Thurgau and other Riesling crossings. In the 20th century, a [[North America]]n taste for sweet wines saw the prominence of [[Liebfraumilch]] and brands like [[Blue Nun]] dominate the German import wine market. In recent times, the Mosel (as well as the entire [[German wine]] industry) has dedicated itself to reversing the reputation it gained during these years and focus on the quality of the area's dry wines.<ref name="Johnson pp 388-396"/>

==Climate and geography==
[[Image:080110 kroev mosel.JPG|left|thumb|The Mosel river near the village of [[Kröv]]]]
The Mosel wine region has northernly [[continental climate (wine)|continental climate]] that is marked by cool temperatures. The best producing vineyard sites are located along the Mosel river and its tributary where the heat from the sun can be maximized by reflection up from the water. South and southwest facing slopes are even more sought after because of the increased exposure to direct sunlight that can aid in ripening of the grapes.<ref name="Fallis pp 258-259">C. Fallis, editor ''The Encyclopedic Atlas of Wine'' pp. 258-259, Global Book Publishing 2006 {{ISBN|1-74048-050-3}}.</ref> The [[List of vineyard soils|soil]] of the area is dominated by [[porous]] [[slate]] which has ideal drainage for the regions heavy rainfall and good heat retaining properties.<ref name="Robinson pp 264-265"/> Many of the best vineyards have no topsoil at all, just broken slate. During the summer months the weather is warm but rarely hot with July's average temperatures around {{convert|64|°F|°C|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Oxford pp 456-458"/>

The Mosel river dominates the geography of the region which is typically divided into three main sections. The '''Upper Mosel''' is the southernmost section located closest to the river's origins along the [[France|French]] and [[Luxembourg]] border. The region includes the Saar and Ruwer river tributaries and is centered on the city of Trier. The '''Middle Mosel''' or ''Mittelmosel'' is the main wine growing region and includes the villages of [[Bernkastel]] and [[Piesport]]. The Middle Mosel begins at the village of [[Zell (Mosel)|Zell]] and extends south to just north of the village of [[Schweich]]. The slate-based soil here is said to have one of the most recognizable ''[[terroir]]'' with the wines, especially Riesling, displaying slatey mineral notes. The '''Lower Mosel''' includes the region south of the city of Koblenz to the village of [[Alf, Rhineland-Palatinate|Alf]] near Zell. It is the most northern wine region of the Mosel and includes the area's confluence with the Rhine river.<ref name="Fallis pp 258-259"/>

==Viticulture==
[[Image:Mosel vineyard in Tittenheim.jpg|right|thumb|[[Terrace (agriculture)|Terraced]] vineyards along the bank of the Mosel in [[Trittenheim]].]]
The steep river bank slopes that are scattered around the Mosel region are considered some of the most labor-intensive vineyards in the world. [[Mechanical harvesting]] is impractical and nearly seven times more [[man hour]]s are needed in the Mosel than in flatter terrain such as the [[Médoc]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/wine-regions/germany/mosel |title=J. Robinson, Mosel wine region}}</ref> [[Grapevines]] are individually [[Trellis (agriculture)|staked]] to the ground without connecting wires so that vineyard workers can tend the plants going [[Horizontal plane|horizontally]] across the vineyard rather than [[Vertical direction|vertically]], which would be more treacherous and tiring. Safety is a priority for many Mosel vineyard owners with the area having a documented history of [[Death|fatalities]] among workers while tending the vines.<ref name="Robinson pp 264-265"/> A benefit of the steep Mosel vineyards is that the incline allows for more direct sunlight to have contact with the vines. During the winter, rain often causes some [[soil erosion]], especially of the vital slate chips that are needed for their heat retaining properties. Many vineyards will gather these eroded [[sediments]] and carry them back up the hillside.<ref name="MacNeil pp 532-535"/>

[[Image:Riesling grapes leaves.jpg|left|thumb|Riesling grapes.]]
The Riesling grape, grown on 59.7% of the region's cultivated vineyard surface in 2008,<ref name="Statistics 09-10">[http://www.deutscheweine.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/0be/0be2f08f-a4a0-4218-cb63-6a55f440fd33,11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111.pdf German Wine Institute: German wine statistics 2009/2010] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726004051/http://www.deutscheweine.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/0be/0be2f08f-a4a0-4218-cb63-6a55f440fd33%2C11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111.pdf |date=2011-07-26}}</ref> is widely considered the most prestigious and highest quality wine grape of the Mosel but it cannot be planted on every vineyard site due to difficulties the grape has in ripening in particularly cool climates. Factors such as [[altitude]], [[aspect (geography)|aspect]] and [[sunlight]] exposure can have a pronounced effect not only on the resulting quality of the wine but also whether the Riesling grape will even ripen at all. A positive characteristic of the Riesling grape is that despite less than perfect ripeness it can still create a wine of finesse and elegance that would escape most other grape [[Variety (botany)|varieties]].<ref name="MacNeil pp 532-535"/>

In place of Riesling, the easier cultivated Müller-Thurgau grape (14.7%) and other Riesling crossings like [[Kerner (grape)|Kerner]] (4.6%) were planted in large quantities on the sites that were not suitable for Riesling, and which in many cases had been previously used for other agricultural purposes. A negative consequence of these large-scale plantings is that the wine produced from these sites are typically of a lower quality than Riesling wines which in turn has a depressing economic effect on the prices of all Mosel wines. While consumers have benefited with top quality Riesling wines being underpriced in comparison with some of the world's other great wines from places like [[Bordeaux wine|Bordeaux]], [[Burgundy wine|Burgundy]] and [[California wine|California]], the economic hardship created by the prices has caused some of the smaller Mosel vineyards to go out of business.<ref name="Robinson pp 264-265"/>

In 2008, the Mosel vineyards covered {{convert|9034|ha}}, making it the fifth-largest of Germany's 13 wine regions.<ref name="Statistics 09-10"/> White grape varieties cover 91 percent of the region's total vineyard surface. The trend in total vineyard area has until recently been slightly negative over a longer period of time, down from {{convert|12760|ha}} in 1988 to {{convert|9533|ha}} in 2003<ref>[http://www.deutscheweine.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/00f/00f51f4e-0098-401b-e592-6461d7937aae,11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111.pdf German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2004–2005] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090920130040/http://www.deutscheweine.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/00f/00f51f4e-0098-401b-e592-6461d7937aae,11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111.pdf |date=2009-09-20}}.</ref> and to {{convert|8975|ha}} in 2006.<ref>[http://www.deutscheweine.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/1a6/1a64f607-a3e5-5117-3d28-952196117f51,11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111.pdf German Wine Institute: German Wine Statistics 2006–2006] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920194632/http://www.deutscheweine.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/1a6/1a64f607-a3e5-5117-3d28-952196117f51,11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111.pdf |date=2008-09-20}}.</ref> It is primarily lesser sites previously planted with "low quality" varieties that have been abandoned in this process; during the 20-year period from 1988 to 2008, plantings of Müller-Thurgau decreased by 55% and those of Elbling by 49%. However, in 2007 and 2008, the negative trend in total plantations has been broken, and the Mosel vineyard surface has seen a small increase of {{convert|59|ha}} in two years.

The projected [[Mosel High Bridge]] will cross and affect some of the most famous vineyards prompting international wine critics and [[oenology|oenologists]] to oppose its construction.

==Wine region==
{{See also|List of Mosel vineyards}}
[[File:Kabinet Riesling from Graacher Himmelreich.jpg|left|thumb|A Kabinett level German Riesling from the village of Graach, located between Bernkastel and Wehlen.]]
Within the Mosel region, there are the following six districts (''Bereiche'') and 19 collective vineyard designations (''Großlagen''), plus 524 single vineyard (''Einzellagen'') designations. Four of the six districts are situated on the river Mosel, and one each on rivers Saar and Ruwer.

[[Image:Bernkastel-Kues.jpg|right|thumb|[[Bernkastel-Kues]]]]
*'''District Burg [[Cochem]]''' / more commonly known as Untermosel or Terrassenmosel
The Cochem district is home to some of the steepest vineyards in the Mosel planted on soil composed of blue [[devonian]] slate, red slate and [[quartzite]].<ref name="Oxford pp 456-458"/> Many of the vineyards of the lower Mosel are terraced, which has led many producers to adopt the name Terrassenmosel, which sounds nicer than Untermosel in German. This district produces a higher proportion of dry wines than the rest of the region. A well known vineyard from this area is the ''Juffermauer'' located near [[Treis-Karden]], whose name means "Virgin-Wall" in the local Franconian dialect/language.<ref name="MacNeil p 517">K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' p. 517, Workman Publishing 2001 {{ISBN|1-56305-434-5}}.</ref>

*'''District Bernkastel''' / more commonly known as Mittelmosel
This is the central district of the region. One of the most notable vineyards in this area is known as ''Doctorberg'', and its wines as ''Bernkasteler Doctor''. An [[apocryphal]] story of how the vineyard got its name originated in the late [[Middle Ages]] when a local [[archbishop]] was miraculously cured of a [[terminal illness]] by drinking wine made from the grapes of this vineyard.<ref name="MacNeil p 512">K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' p. 512, Workman Publishing 2001 {{ISBN|1-56305-434-5}}.</ref>

Other notable vineyards of the Mittelmosel include the [[Sundial]] (German ''Sonnenuhr'') vineyards; [[Brauneberg]] Juffer-Sonnenuhr, [[Bernkastel-Kues#Viticulture|Wehlener]] Sonnenuhr, [[Zeltingen-Rachtig|Zeltinger]] Sonnenuhr. In the 19th century, large sundials were built in these vineyards so that the workers would know what time to break for lunch or the end of the work day. Since these vineyards receive the most exposure to the sun, many of the wines produced from these vineyards are richer and more full-bodied than wine produced from other vineyards. In a similar way to many of [[List of Burgundy Grand Crus|Burgundy's Grand Cru vineyards]], the Sonnenuhr vineyards are highly parceled with multiple owners of individual plots or rows of vines. The Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard alone has more than 200 owners.<ref name="MacNeil pp 532-535"/>
[[Image:Ruwertal kasel waldrach.jpg|left|thumb|Ruwer valley]]
*'''District [[Ruwer (region)|Ruwertal]]''' / more commonly known as Ruwer (its formal name is due to the fact that Ruwer also is a suburb of Trier. The Ruwer is an estuary that flows into the Mosel; "Tal" is German for valley.)
Located to the southeast of Trier, this region includes the vineyards around [[Waldrach]] and [[Kasel]]. The region is home to many vineyards ''in Alleinbesitz'' ([[monopole (wine)|monopole]]). At [[Mertesdorf]], there is a [[wiktionary:subterranean|subterranean]] [[Roman aqueduct]] that connects the Grünhaus vineyard with the city of Trier. The quality of Ruwer wine is particularly dependent on the quality of the vintage with cool vintages marked by sharply acidic wines that quickly fade and warmer vintage producing some of the most delicate and perfumed expressions of German wines.<ref name="Johnson atlas pp 216-223">H. Johnson & J. Robinson ''The World Atlas of Wine'' pp. 216-223, Mitchell Beazley Publishing 2005 {{ISBN|1-84000-332-4}}.</ref>
[[File:Aylerkupp.jpg|right|thumb|The famous [[Ayl|Ayler Kupp]], Saar river]]
*'''District Saar'''
Like the Ruwer region, wine from the Saar district (along the lower course of the [[Saar River]], in [[Rhineland-Palatinate]]) is particularly dependent on the overall quality of the vintage typically only 4 years out of every 10 producing a worthwhile set of wines. The wines that do come out of these warm vintages are noted for their apple-like freshness and steely mineral notes. The most ideal vintages allow harvest to take place between late October and mid November when the grapes can develop enough sugar to produce floral and honeyed notes.<ref name="Johnson atlas pp 216-223"/>

*'''District Obermosel'''
This wine district is composed of a thin strip of land along the Luxembourg border. The region starts just north of [[Igel]] and continues south to the village of [[Palzem]] where it meets the Moseltor district. Elbling, Müller-Thurgau, and [[Auxerrois Blanc]] are some of the region largest plantings.<ref name="Johnson atlas pp 216-223"/> Obermosel and Moseltor contain very few notable vineyards compared to the other districts of the region.

*'''District Moseltor'''
The Moseltor area is the most southern area of the Mosel region, and is located together with the Obermosel along the Luxembourg border. The Elbling grape is the most commonly planted here producing a thin, rustic wine with high acidity. [[Sparkling wine]] production is growing in this area.<ref name="Johnson atlas pp 216-223"/> The reason why tiny Moseltor with its around {{convert|110|ha}} of vineyards is a separate ''Bereich'' is that it, in contrast to the other 99% of Mosel's vineyard area, is located in the state of [[Saarland]], and therefore is supervised by this state's government. All of Moseltor is located within the borders of [[Perl, Germany|Perl]].<ref>[http://www.wein-plus.eu/en/Mosel_3.0.1336.html Wein-Plus Glossar: Mosel], accessed on January 22, 2013.</ref>

==Wines==
[[File:Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese 2006.jpg|thumb|125 px|A Mosel Spätlese]]
The wines of the Upper Mosel, especially along the Saar and Ruwer tributaries, are characterized by their low [[alcohol content]] in the 6-9% range with intense fruity notes and high acidity. An obscure local poet once described them as 'Sonnenfeuer, Sternengold, Kühlen Mondlichtschein' - The fire of the Sun, the gold of the stars, and cool moonlight. The wines of the Middle Mosel are considered the most complete examples of German wines with some of the finest examples being able to age gracefully for 50–100 years.<ref name="Robinson pp 264-265"/> Mosel Rieslings rely on a strong presence of [[tartaric acid]] to balance the grape's sugar and to help impart its fruity notes.<ref name="Oxford pp 456-458"/> A characteristic of all Mosel wines is their normally high acidity and [[transparency (wine)|transparency]] of clearly defined flavors. The wines of the Mosel region are traditionally packaged in a long green colored "hock style" [[wine bottle]]. Historically the green color distinguished Mosel wines from the brown bottles of the [[Rheinhessen (wine region)|Rheinhessen]].<ref name="MacNeil pp 532-535"/>

Plantings of [[Müller-Thurgau]] accounts for more the 20% of the Mosel wine production and is typically used for basic [[quaffing]] wine or sweet wine. The Elbing grape accounts for a little more than 9% of the area's production and is often used as a low-cost riesling alternative in the production of sparkling [[Sekt]]. The Mosel is also well known for its [[Eiswein]] production with the area's characteristic high acidity coupled with the sweetness produced by the concentration of the sugars in the frozen grapes.<ref name="MacNeil pp 532-535"/>

==Grape varieties==
The most cultivated grape varieties, by area in 2008, were:<ref>{{cite book |title=Landwirtschaftliche Bodennutzung - Rebflächen - Fachserie 3 Reihe 3.1.5 - 2008 |trans-title=Agricultural land use - Areas under vine |year=2008 |publisher=[[Statistisches Bundesamt]] |location=Wiesbaden, Germany |url=https://www-ec.destatis.de/csp/shop/sfg/bpm.html.cms.cBroker.cls?cmspath=struktur,vollanzeige.csp&ID=1023922 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110812211016/https://www-ec.destatis.de/csp/shop/sfg/bpm.html.cms.cBroker.cls?cmspath=struktur,vollanzeige.csp&ID=1023922 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-08-12}}</ref>

{| border="0" width="100%"
|----- valign="top"
| width="50%" |
* [[Riesling]], 5,390 ha (59.7%)
* [[Müller-Thurgau]], 1,263 ha (14.0%)
* [[Elbling]], 567 ha (6.3%)
* [[Kerner (grape)|Kerner]], 377 ha (4.2%)
* [[Spätburgunder]], 359 ha (4.0%)
* [[Dornfelder]], 333 ha (3.7%)
* [[Weißer Burgunder]], 248 ha (2.7%)
|
* [[Bacchus (grape)|Bacchus]], 84 ha (0.9%)
* [[Grauer Burgunder]], 83 ha (0.9%)
* [[Regent (grape)|Regent]], 61 ha (0.7%)
* [[Chardonnay]], 35 ha (0.4%)
* [[Auxerrois Blanc|Auxerrois]], 28 ha (0.3%)
* [[Reichensteiner]], 26 ha (0.3%)
* [[Ortega (grape)|Ortega]], 20 ha (0.2%)
|}

==Associations==
[[Image:VDP Trier pre-auction tasting.jpg|right|thumb|200px|2007 Trier VDP Großer Ring auction pre-tasting.]]

There are two major wine growers' associations in the Mosel region, the ''Großer Ring'', which is a regional section of the [[Verband Deutscher Prädikats- und Qualitätsweingüter|VDP]], and the ''Bernkasteler Ring''. They both arrange annual [[German wine auctions|wine auctions]] of top wines. Producers can submit their wines to the VDP for taste testing to qualify as [[reserve wine]]s known as ''Erste Lage'' (meaning first site). These wines are subject to several regulations; for example, the harvesting must be by hand and the yield must not exceed 220 [[case (goods)|cases]] per [[acre]] (50 [[hectolitre|hl]]/[[hectare|ha]]).<ref name="Sotheby p 347">T. Stevenson ''"The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia"'' p. 347, Dorling Kindersley 2005 {{ISBN|0-7566-1324-8}}.</ref>

==References==
{{clear}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Vineyards of Mosel}}
*[http://www.germanwine.de/english/d_reg/r_mos.htm Mosel-Saar-Ruwer] Link no longer active.
*[http://www.die-mosel.de Mosel-Saar-Ruwer]
*[http://www.trulyfinewine.com/Mosel_ep_38-1.html Mosel Wine Production Detail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224220758/http://www.trulyfinewine.com/Mosel_ep_38-1.html |date=2008-12-24 }}

{{German wine regions}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord missing|Germany}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mosel (wine region)}}
[[Category:Wine regions of Germany]]
[[Category:Moselle|Wine]]