The Mosel and the Riesling have a long history and are strongly connected. The grape Riesling is considered the best white grape in the world and grows particularly well at the Moselle and its steep slopes. Therefore, the cultivation of Riesling also plays a big role in our winery, because Riesling from the Moselle is in great demand worldwide. Below you will find some interesting information about this top grape variety.
What are the key characteristics of Riesling?
The Riesling is a white grape variety, which appeared in the 15th century for the first time in Germany. A special feature of this grape variety is the long maturation phase. The Riesling is thus considered a late grape variety. This means that the grapes are usually stuck to the stick for a few weeks longer, as other grape varieties and the fall is usually completed with the harvest of Riesling grapes. The grape variety Riesling has high demands in terms of location and climate, but slightly lower demands on the soil. An optimal condition would be a sun-drenched steep slope with mineral slate soil, as it can be found, for example, at the Moselle.
What is the smell and taste of Riesling?
Provided with a usually light to golden yellow color, the wines of the Riesling grape smell especially after fruits like apple or peach. Also, different herbs can be recognized, which are supplemented with Rieslings from the shale situation by a mineral note.
Also in terms of taste is the focus of the fruit, which is particularly pronounced along with a racy acidity. When tasting the wines, it is usually possible to recognize nuances of green apple, citrus fruits and apricots, which achieve an extraordinary taste sensation through spicy and mineral aromas and develop their own character depending on the terroir. This diversity makes the grape variety Riesling so exciting in many wine-growing regions.
Riesling dry, semi-dry or sweet?
With regard to the flavor, everything is possible with the Riesling. From very dry wines with hardly any residual sweetness to noble sweet Beerenauslese, this grape variety is offered. Not so much the possible realization of a certain flavor plays the big role, but above all the demand and also the cultivation area. A few decades ago, sweet Riesling was in demand here at the Moselle. The popularity is still there, but to a lesser extent. Nowadays, more and more dry, semi-dry or fine-dry Riesling is consumed. But no matter which flavor you prefer, the great thing about Riesling is that it always has a nice fruit, whether dry or sweet.
In which regions does Riesling grow?
Riesling grows particularly well in slightly colder growing areas. The grape variety can be found, for example, in Alsace, in Austria and above all in Germany. Germany is clearly the stronghold of Riesling, which is immediately apparent when looking at the figures: in 2018, 24,000 hectares of German wine-growing areas were planted with Riesling. This represents 45% of Riesling's worldwide cultivation. If you look at where Riesling is grown in Germany, you will notice that this grape variety exists in all 13 German wine regions, but the proportion is very different. According to the German Wine Statistics 2018/2019, the Palatinate Riesling ranks first with almost 5,900 hectares, whereas the Ahr, Saale Unstrut and Franconia farms under 100 hectares.
How much Riesling is there at the Moselle?
The Moselle occupies the second place in Germany with regard to Riesling. With 5,393 hectares in 2018, the Mosel is one of the most important production areas for Riesling in Germany and around the world and accounts for almost a quarter of German Riesling production. How crucial this grape variety is for the Mosel wine-growing region is shown by considering the acreage of the Riesling in relation to the total cultivated area. According to the German wine statistics 2018/2019, this amounts to 8,770 hectares on the Moselle with which Riesling stands for over 60% of the cultivated grape varieties.
What makes Riesling at the Mosel so special?
No matter where experts in the world talk about Riesling, it usually does not take long to call the Mosel wine-growing region. The steep slopes of the Moselle, which are mostly filled with slate and trump with great terroir, have an excellent reputation in the worldwide wine scene. The best vineyards, which produce the most award-winning Riesling and achieve top prices at auctions, can be found at the Middle Moselle. The special geographical conditions in interaction with soil and climate make the Riesling of the Mosel unmistakably filigree, noble and extremely in demand.
How important is Riesling for our winery?
In the two previous sections, the position of Riesling for the wine-growing region Moselle is very clear. This great importance can be transferred to our winery. Our family business is also focused on the Riesling, as it simply grows excellently in our vineyards and is in such high demand. That is why it is important for us not only to produce high-quality Riesling at our vineyard, but also everywhere at the Mosel, and that the Riesling from the Moselle retains its good reputation worldwide. In the end, this benefits all winemakers in our region. We are proud of our Riesling and offer this grape variety in different qualities, differently developed and in different flavors. Try our Riesling and feel free to get in touch with us!
Sources:
https://www.falstaff.de/sd/r/riesling/
https://www.weinland-mosel.de/de/wein-sekt/rebsorten/
https://www.germanwines.de/knowledge/grape-varieties/white-grapes/riesling/
