The Moselle, Saar and Ruwer rivers twist and turn in narrow loops through countryside where the Celts and Romans first cultivated wine 2,000 years ago. As a wine region, the Moselle is the oldest in Germany and the largest with vines on steep slopes. Terraced hillsides and precipitous slopes, which face either south or south-west, create beneficial microclimates for wine grapes but also rare plants and animals. The sublime rieslings grown in these conditions in the Moselle, Saar and Ruwer vineyards rank among the finest white wines in the world with their wonderful mineral notes.
The Moselle is the fifth largest wine region in Germany with 8,800 hectares under vine. Its steep vineyard slopes grow more riesling than any other variety: 5,273 hectares (approx. 60 per cent) are planted with the noblest of the white grapes. A speciality of the region is elbling, an older variety which is now only cultivated to any great extent along the Upper Moselle. The other major white wine varieties are müller-thurgau (also known as rivaner), pinot gris and pinot blanc. 90 per cent of Moselle wines are white. Pinot noir, dornfelder, regent and other reds account for the remaining 10 per cent.
The slopes where Moselle wines are grown were once seabeds, beaches and coastal mudflats. These prehistoric ocean floors folded up into mountains over millions of years and eroded into what we see today. The steep vineyards, which rise up from the banks of the Saar, Ruwer and Middle Moselle, are based on Devonian slate formed 400 million years ago. Quartzitic, calciferous sandstone forms the basis of the Lower Moselle valley between Zell and Koblenz. Vines along the Upper Moselle, part of the Paris Basin, grow in soils composed of fossil-flecked limestone, sandstone and marl, underlaid with dolomite. A characteristic feature of the region is 'Rotliegend', a rust-coloured rock of volcanic origin found at Ürzig on the Middle Moselle.
The Moselle and its tributaries have cut deep into the Rhenish-Westphalian Slate Mountains, creating the perfect geological and climatic conditions for wine growing. Shielded by these valleys, the region is one of the warmest in Germany. The rivers also make excellent heat retainers, which prevent damaging frost from forming. Mild winters and pleasantly warm summers are the norm here. The average annual temperature ranges from 9.1 to 10.5 degrees Celsius; mean yearly rainfall is 800mm. On average, the region basks in 1,370 hours of sunshine per year.
Connoisseurs can choose from literally thousands of different wines along the Moselle. Some 3,600 growers cultivate grapes in 524 vineyard sites. Nowhere else can you enjoy so many steep-hillside wines made by so many different producers. Around 2,000 estates bottle their wines independently and sell them directly. Any village that is close to a vineyard will have wineries where you can sample the wines and buy some for back home. Other growers deliver their grapes to the Moselle wine cooperative or to companies that produce and bottle the wines, then export them around the world.
The locals in the Moselle region are friendly, free-spirited folk who can also be stubborn at times, but really love to laugh. New experiences await beyond every turn in the river, as picturesque towns and villages follow one after another amid richly varied scenery. Other cultures have always had a role to play in the Moselle region: first it fell under the rule of the Roman Empire, then it was settled by Celts, Franks and Burgundian monks, before alternating between the Germans and the French. The region's proximity to France and Luxembourg carries through to the relaxed attitude to life and the Moselle-Franconian dialect. In many places, you might have to pinch yourself to realise you're not in the Mediterranean!
The Moselle’s meandering journey begins in the southern Vosges mountains in France. The river has many a fascinating tale to tell – as will you after enjoying this cycle route.
The German section of the international Velo Tour Moselle takes you on a journey of richly varied scenery along predominantly level cycle paths. Trier is home to a number of impressive Roman monuments. At Schweich the Moselle starts cutting its way through the Rhenish slate mountains, twisting and turning through the ever-narrowing valley. Cultural highlights along the way include the famous wine ship in Neumagen-Dhron and the Middle Moselle Roman wine presses. Numerous castles, including Burg Arras and Burg Metternich, are tucked away in romantic side valleys. The route ends in Koblenz where the Moselle flows into the Rhine.
Terrain: an international long-distance cycle route running predominantly on asphalt paths, farm tracks and old towpaths over mainly level terrain. Also suitable for trailers from Thionville (France) onwards.
Scenery: the Moselle countryside is characterised by the river’s many twists and turns, its steep valleys and its terraced vineyards. The cycle paths run between the banks of the river and the vineyards and pass through winemaking villages.
The biggest Roman wine press north of the Alps, where the Romans trod the grapes to make Moselle wines, was discovered in 1985 during a vineyard restructuring scheme. The fourth century site, which measures 44 by 20 metres, came to light at the foot of the famously steep Piesporter Goldtröpfchen vineyard.
Even on the Moselle, slopes do not get any steeper than this. The Calmont is the most precipitous vineyard in Europe with a gradient of up to 60 degrees. The cliff face between the Moselle villages of Bremm and Ediger-Eller is over 290 metres high. It was formed 400 million years ago in the Devonian period and consists of denuded slate, quartzite and greywacke rocks.
The art nouveau town of Traben-Trarbach on the Middle Moselle is a true monument to the importance of the Moselle wine trade. Around 1900, this small Moselle town was the most important wine trading town after Bordeaux in France. Cellars were built under large parts of the town to provide sufficient storage space.
They measure the progress of the day and are as old as humanity: until the early 19th century, sundials were synonymous with time itself – there were no other clocks. The principle is simple: a rod is fixed parallel to the earth's axis and the shadow it casts on a surface mounted in the vineyard indicates the position of the sun, and consequently the time.
Germany's Roman heritage is tangible here. The origins of Germany's oldest wine cellar at the Vereinigte Hospitien (United Hospices) estate in Trier date back to the year 330 AD when two huge warehouses, known as horrea, stood here on the banks of the Moselle. Their walls with layers of decorative brickwork were up to eight metres high and still remain intact.
Experience the biggest wine festival in the Middle Moselle region. Its highlights are the reception for the wine queen, firework displays at Landshut Castle and along the banks of the Moselle, the vintners' parade with a string of floats, marching bands and traditional dance groups from Germany and abroad. Over 30 stalls offer acclaimed riesling wines, including Bernkasteler Doctor, Zeller schwarze Katz, Piesporter Goldtröpfchen and Wehlener Sonnenuhr.
To drink wine is to experience the terroir. Wine often tastes much better when you have visited the region where the grapes are grown. Winninger Spital wine shop's aim is to foster an appreciation of wine. It helps that the quality of the wines made by the 17 wineries based in Winningen is outstanding. We run wine tastings and guided walks around the vineyards.
Find out for yourself about making and appreciating wine at the Bernkastel-Kues Viticulture Centre. Multimedia wine education centre and museum shop, wine shop with 150 different wines to taste in the historical vaulted cellar of the Cusa Foundation, wine bar and bistro serving nibbles and wine by the glass. The wine shop was created as a showcase for Moselle wines and viticulture.
Our wine shop in Saarburg stocks riesling wines made by all the VDP-certified wine estates in the Saar region, such as Egon-Müller-Scharzhof, Van Volxem, von Othegraven, Dr Fischer and Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, which produce exceptionally fruity and intensely sweet wines. Wines from Scharzhofberger, Ockfener Bockstein and other acclaimed vineyards can be tasted at any time and are available at wholesale prices.
The Lubentiushof wine estate in Niederfell dates back to a winery founded in 1711 for the House of Leyen. In 1994, the estate was taken over by Andreas Barth who, as a lawyer, has come from a very different background and brought a wealth of new ideas to the business. The grapes in his vineyards thrive on the slate terraces of the Lower Moselle, where they are all picked by hand because of the steep slopes.