The Moselle is the fifth largest wine region in Germany with 9,000 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 5,000 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 Moselle's meandering journey to the Rhine begins in the southern Vosges mountains in France. Flowing through Luxembourg and on to Germany, the river has many a fascinating tale to tell.

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