The Moselle is a famous wine region. His fame extends to the whole world. Moselle wines are well known; they are often mentioned in European fiction of the 18th and 19th centuries. And at the moment, these alcoholic drinks have a lot of admirers.
Of course, Germany is not a leader in winemaking, and in terms of the number of wine regions, it cannot compete with countries such as France and Italy. There are only thirteen of them, and, by the way, the Moselle is not the largest. Leaders are Baden-Württemberg and Reinhessen. Mosel's share of wine is only eight to ten percent.
Region features
Mosel's vineyards differ not only from other German, but also from French and Italian. First of all, by the fact that they are located not on the plain, but on the mountain slopes. The coolest vineyard in Europe, with a slope of approximately seventy degrees, is located in this region.
This unique location significantly complicates the life of Moselle winemakers. In order to care for the vines, they have to climb the mountain every time. But their suffering is fully justified. After all, this particular feature makes Moselle wines unique.
The rays of the sun, reflected from the waters of the river, fall directly on the vineyards located on the slopes. Thanks to this, the berries receive a double portion of light and heat. And the mountains are excellent protectors from the cold and wind.
Almost always, the berries are picked by hand, because even with a great desire it is impossible to raise equipment on the slopes.
The main grape varieties
About 24 grape varieties are cultivated in the region, but more than half of the total crop (60%) falls on Riesling. Moselle is a world leader in the production of wine from this variety.
Muller-Thurgau (Rivaner) takes the second place - its share is 14%. Next comes the Elbling variety, which was popular in the Middle Ages - 6%. After him, Kerner - 4%. This variety is popular in the Palatinate and Hesse. And in last place are the red varieties Spetburgunder and Dornfelder - 4% and 3.6%, respectively.
French grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc are also grown here. But their share is too small. It is worth noting that 91% of the total volume of grapes falls on white varieties.
Vine Care Features
Regardless of the grape variety, the wine from the Moselle begins to be made not from harvesting, but from preparing the soil in spring. Each bush is tied to a peg of wood. Be sure to remove the extra young shoots, otherwise the vine will grow incorrectly and will not take a certain shape.
According to experts, getting rid of excess growth should be done at least 3-4 times during the summer. That is, while the winemaker processes his entire plot, he already needs to start getting rid of the overgrowth again. And when you consider that all this has to be done on steep slopes, it becomes clear that this work is not easy.
Vintage
Grapes are harvested for Moselle wines from September to December. This run is due to differences among varieties and different quality of drinks. Before the start of the process, a big celebration is organized in the region in honor of the beginning of the harvest. Moreover, this is an international event. Everyone can come to the holiday. Only now booking a hotel room will have almost a year before the event.
The main part of the crop is harvested before the onset of frost. But there is a special kind of wine - ice wine. Grapes for him are just harvested after the onset of cold weather, when the air temperature is seven degrees below zero. The best berries are left for this sort of wine. Icewine is cooked only in very productive years. There is another special type of wine - a trokenbirenouslese, which is made from dried berries.
Production Features
As soon as the first grapes are picked, the preparation of wine begins immediately. The processes for the production of white and red drinks have certain differences.
Light grapes are sent under the press and get the juice, which then goes through the fermentation process. With red varieties, things are a little more complicated. In order to get a beautiful red wine, fermentation should involve not only juice, but also the skin. It depends on her shade.
After a certain time, the wort gets rid of the pulp. Further, both white and red wine are sent to barrels. Since the first is much larger, then containers under it are required of impressive size. Usually this drink is stored in huge metal vats. But for the storage of red use wooden barrels.
During the winter, wine is poured several times, thereby relieving it of sediment. So in the winter, winemakers are constantly at work. In the spring, bottling begins. Some, however, leave to ripen for several months in oak barrels.
Alsatian bottle
A bottle of Moselle wine needs a specific bottle. In general, there are 12 main types of wine bottles. This is if you do not take into account those that manufacturers come up with to increase sales.
The Moselle or Alsatian bottle is particularly elegant. This is a tall, “slender” container with a long neck and, as a rule, with a flat bottom. Most often, such bottles are made of light green glass.
German winemakers often use such containers for bottling Riesling, Muller Thurgau and several other varieties. The type of wine does not matter. It can be dry, semi-sweet, and sweet, and sometimes even sparkling. But in the countries of the New World exclusively dessert wines are bottled in such a bottle. By the way, it’s also called the Alsatian flute.
Features of Moselle wines
In almost any restaurant, the wine list contains drinks from the Moselle, as they are very popular all over the world. Their main distinguishing feature is a fragrant bouquet with muscat tones or notes of elderberry color.
Four rivers pass through this wine-growing region: the Moselle, Ara, Nahe and the Rhine. That is why white wine from the Moselle is most often compared to other Rhine drinks. On their background Moselle stand out with an incredibly bright aroma.
There is a small secret: this effect is mainly achieved artificially. Special additives are added during the manufacturing process. After this procedure, the wine has a bright muscat aroma, thanks to which no real connoisseur will confuse it with another. Moselle wines have an unusual color. They are completely transparent and very bright. They are also distinguished by pleasant astringency in taste.
Wine from the Moselle perfectly complements first courses or fish dishes. Most often, their strength does not exceed nine degrees, so they are an excellent tonic.
Shelf life
Many attribute this feature of Moselle wines to disadvantages - they have a short shelf life. These drinks do not get better with time, like many other wines, and the residual sugar is to blame. It appears due to the characteristics of production, or rather, due to the artificial interruption of the fermentation process. Since biochemical processes can occur even with a closed cork, Moselle wines must be stored in a cool place and exclusively in a lying position. And still they will not lie for a long time. And an open bottle should not be left in storage even in the refrigerator.
Riesling Names
This wine has not only excellent taste, but also various names that remind of very interesting places. The fact is that Riesling wines from the Moselle are always given additional personal names.
The drink that came from the vineyards located on the terraces is called the Erden Stairs. But the classic Riesling was given the name "Sundial". The name comes from an old sundial, which is carved directly on the rock. One of the highest-quality traditional rieslings is called the Leavener Monastery Garden.
From the glorious town of Trittenheim came two types of such wine. One of them is the spetlese category and is called the “Trittenheim Altar”. Its strength is 10 degrees. But the second sweet drink with a strength of 19 degrees is called "Trittenheim pharmacy."
The wine with the name Rosenberg (red hill) has its own amazing story. In 1890, most of the legendary vineyard became the property of the banker from Nakenheim, Karl Gunderloch. At the moment, Nakenheim Rosenberg is a well-known global brand.
Also, the Black Cat wine, which is also made from Riesling grapes, is famous all over the world. You can’t confuse her with anything due to the juicy earthy flavor.
You can talk about Moselle wine for hours. But no words can compare with a sip of a divine drink. Therefore, you should not speak, but try.