Mosel Saar Ruwer |
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As with many other German wine regions, the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer is steeped in history. There are many relicts reminding the traveller that this region was once part of the Roman Empire. Trier on the upper Mosel has an abundance of buildings and ruins dating back to roman times, and you will find along the river many more reminders that the romans were very active growing wine on the banks of the 3 rivers. 
The region has its name from the river Mosel and its tributaries Saar and Ruwer. Bordering in the West to Luxembourg and France, the Mosel valley takes many bends and windings before it flows into the river Rhein near Koblenz. To the north and the south are the hills of Eifel and Hunsrück. Due to the deep valley and the steep banks of the river, it has ideal climate conditions for growing wine. This area is also one of the most well known wine growing areas in Germany, predominantly producing Riesling wines. Although each river's vineyard area produces a wine with its own distinctive personality, the three share a family resemblance: a fragrance reminiscent of spring blossoms, a pale color, light body and a refreshing, fruity acidity. Most display their finest charms in youth; the late- and selectively-harvested wines merit aging. Along the serpentine route of the Mosel, the river banks rise so sharply that the vineyards carpeting these slopes are among the steepest in the world, with some planted at an astounding 70-degree gradient. On these precipitous inclines, nearly all labor must be done by hand. That includes tying each vine to its own eight-foot wooden stake, and carrying up the slate soil that has washed down with the winter rains. 
Soil types range from clayish slate and greywacke in the lower Mosel valley, devonian slate in the steep sites and sandy, gravelly soil in the flatlands of the middle Mosel valley to primarily shell-limestone (chalky soils) in the upper Mosel valley. 
As long as the winding Mosel (545 km, covering a straight distance less than half), is the list of the wine festivals in summer time and the list of famous wines coming from this region. |
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