Saturday, December 10, 2022

Mosel: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

 

The Vinum Weinguide Germany 2023 was released a few weeks ago, presenting Vinum's choice of Germany’s best 1 000 wine producers and reviewing more than 10 700 wines on 1118 pages.

5 out of 5 stars („world class“) were awarded to 18 estates. In addition, there are 31 estates with 4.5 stars, and 66 estates with 4 stars.

See here: Germany's 18 Top Winemakers (With 5/5 Stars) - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2023

This posting is the fifth in a series of postings that provide more details on individual wine regions. 

Ahr: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

Baden: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

Franken: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

Hessische Bergstrasse: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

Mittelrhein: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023  

Mosel: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023

In the Mosel region, there are 5 producers with 5 stars and 7 producers with 4.5 stars in the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2023.

Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, and I have met 4 producers in the 5 stars group and 4 producers in 4.5 stars stars group at various occasions over the past years, often at their estate during a Germany wine tour by ombiasy WineTours, which is owned and run by Annette Schiller and based in Washington DC, USA.

Mosel

(London Wine Competition)

The name of the famous German wine producing region Mosel comes from the Mosel River, which winds through this part of Germany. Three river valleys – the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer – account for the unique topography and growing conditions of the Mosel region, which is world-famous for its production of Riesling wines.

One of the defining characteristics of wine production in Mosel is the steeply sloped vineyards, which overlook the three rivers. At one point of the Mosel river, vineyards are arranged at a steep, 65-degree incline. As might be imagined, that significantly increases the difficulty of wine production. In fact, Mosel is widely considered to have some of the most labor-intensive vineyards in the world.

Despite the difficulty of production, winemaking has been going in Mosel since the ancient Roman era. At that time, the Romans planted vineyards along both the Mosel and the Rhine. By the Middle Ages, there were wine villages along the Mosel. And by the end of the 17th century, Riesling had established itself as the dominant grape varietal of Mosel.

In terms of overall production, Riesling wines account for nearly 60% of all wine produced in Mosel. In addition, Müller-Thurgau (14%) and Elbling (6.3%) also play a role. Wines of the region are known for being light, low in alcohol, crisp and high in acidity. While many Rieslings are characterized as being “fruity,” the wines of Mosel are more often characterized as having floral notes.

In the 1920s, Blue Nun became arguably the most famous German wine from Mosel in the world. By the 1950s, Blue Nun was being exported to North America, and until the late 1980s, Blue Nun was a huge commercial hit with the American wine- drinking audience, which enjoyed the sweeter, lighter wine.

The Mosel wine region is divided into 6 districts, as well as 19 collective vineyard designations and 524 single vineyard designations. The wines of Mosel are often bottled with very distinctive long, green-colored “hock style” bottles that help them stand out on wine retailer shelves.

Visiting Mosel Producers

Clemens Busch 5 Stars

Pictures: At Weingut Clemens Busch with Rita and Clemens Busch. See:Vineyard Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Clemens Busch – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Pictures: Annette Schiller, Christian Schiller and Clemens Busch at Panda Gourmet, Washington DC. See: Wine-pairing Dinner with Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch, Mosel, at Panda Gourmet in Washington DC, USA

Picture: Annette and Christian Schiller at the Rieslingfeier 2017 in New York City with Clemens Busch. See: The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA

Pictures: Annette Schiller, Clemens Busch and Christian Schiller in Washington DC, USA in 2014. See: German Star Winemaker Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch in the Mosel Valley, in Washington DC, USA

Picture: Gernot Kollmann, Weingut Immich-Batterieberg, Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, Dominik Sona and Franzi Schmitt, Weingut Koehler-Ruprecht and Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch, at Bart Vandaele's BToo in Washington DC. See: Post-Rieslingfeier and Pre-Big Glou Dinner with 3 Top Winemakers from Germany at BToo in Washington DC: Clemens Busch, Immich-Batterieberg and Koehler-Ruprecht, USA

Picture: In Seattle, Washington State, in 2013, during the 4th Riesling Rendezvous: Clemens Busch, Christian Schiller and Hermann Wiemer, founder of Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyards in the Finger Lakes Region in New York State. See: The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA

Hofgut Falkenstein 5 Stars



 
Pictures: A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA

Schloss Lieser 5 Stars

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Schloss Lieser in Lieser with Owner/ Winemaker Thomas Haag – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016

Picture: Thomas Haag, Weingut Schloss Lieser, and Christian Schiller in Mainz. See: Thomas Haag, Weingut Schloss Lieser, Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2015

Picture: Annette Schiller, Thomas Haag with his Son (Weingut Schloss Lieser) and Stephen Bitterolf at the 2017 Rieslingfeier in NYC. See: The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA

Joh. Jos. Prüm  5 Stars

Picture: Annette Schiller and Manfred Prüm

Picture: Christian Schiller with Katharina Pruem at Wegmans in Virginia. See also: JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

Pictures: Tasting at the Legendary Weingut J.J. Prüm with Amei Prüm – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Jos. Jos. Prüm in Bernkastel-Wehlen, Mosel, with Amei Prüm - Germany-North Tour 2019 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential Riesling

Fritz Haag 4.5 Stars

Pictures: At Weingut Fritz Haag, with Oliver Haag. See: Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir

Heymann-Löwenstein 4.5 Stars

Picture: Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen, Mosel, with Reinhard Löwenstein - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

Markus Molitor 4.5 Stars

Pictures: Tasting with Markus Molitor at Weingut Markus Molitor in Haus Klosterberg, Mosel - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours

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