Visiting the Mosel, Germany
This past weekend I had the privilege of visiting the Mosel area. From the moment i saw the first vineyards i was blown away by the terroir! The steep hillsides. You read about it and learn about it, but nothing can prepare you for the visual change in gradient once standing at the bank of the Mosel and looking upward.
Once there, you realize how each vine is fighting for every last drop of sunlight, how important the slate is in capturing the heat during the day, the importance of south facing vineyards. Most of them over a century old. We were on a north facing slope on a sunny day and instantly it felt like winter. It is amazing to see and feel the contrast, just a few kilometers apart.
Then came the wine tastings. We had the privilege of visiting 4 different wineries: Joh. Jos. Prum, Dr. Loosen, Markus Molitor and Selbach Oster. All four wineries have the same golden thread running through them: tradition, heritage, quality & expressing terroir! From the first to the final wine, i was blown away by the different “faces” Riesling can have, all just from a few different vineyards away from each other - true expression of terroir! We also tried Rieslings from vintages including 1993, 1997 & 2006. Some were blind and i was humbled by calling out the vintages. These wines just reach a point where the wine stops showing age and expresses its vintage and terroir - making it important to know Mosel vintages if you want to be on top of your game with blind tastings.
Another fascinating ting thing was the different classification systems, from being a VDP producer and using the Prädikat system, GG... It all made sense once you are in the area, experiencing what they are experiencing.
There’s also a twist: after every tasting, i did a quick blind tasting with the hosts with 3 South African wines. All hosts were blown away by the quality, expression of fruit, terroir and styles. I once again realized how much joy it brings to expose SA wines to the rest of the world.
This trip has truly been an eye opener in giving different perspective of area, terroir, production and heritage. Can’t wait to return soon!
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