Mosel: The Top Winemakers - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2026

The Vinum Weinguide Deutschland is a leading German wine guide. The Vinum Weinguide Deutschland 2026 was released recently, presenting Vinum's choice of Germany’s best 1,000 wine producers and reviewing more than 13,500 wines on 1,080 pages. 

 

5 out of 5 stars („world class“) were awarded to 27 estates. See: Germany's 27 Top Winemakers (With 5/5 Stars) - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2026

See also:   

Winemakers of the Year (Germany): Winery / Rising Star/ Discovery - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2026 

Wines of the Year (Germany) - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2026 

 

 

Top Winemaker in the Mosel Region and ombiasy WineTours

In the Mosel, there are 6 producers in the 5/5 points category of the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland/ Germany 2026. Annette Schiller, ombiasy WineTours, and I have met five of them 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.

Mosel (Mosel - Saar -Ruwer)

Clemens Busch 

 

Pictures: German and Austria Winemakers (Clemens Busch, Kühn, Meinklang, Frank John) at the Salons des Vins - all with a Focus on Natural, Organic, Biodynamic and Low-intervention Producers - in February in Angers and Saumur, Loire Valley, France (February 2024)

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

Franz-Josef Eifel

Falkenstein

 

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

 

Markus Molitor

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

Joh. Jos. Prüm  

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

 

See: Rieslingfeier January 2025 in New York City, USA: Gränd Tasting (with 12 German and 3 Austrian #worldclass Winemakers)  

See: 2025 Rieslingfeier Gala Dinner in New York City, Sky Loft, 32nd Floor of 50 Hudson Yard, with 15 #worldclass Winemakers from Germany + Austria and Estimated 300 Wines, many 20, 30, 40 Years old, many Larger Format and almost all Ultra-premium

Schloss Lieser (Thomas Haag)

 

Pictures: With Lara Haag at Rieslingfeier January 2025 in New York City, USA: Gränd Tasting (with 12 German and 3 Austrian #worldclass Winemakers) 

 

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

 

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Mosel Pioneer Reinhard Löwenstein Sells VDP Estate Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen (November 2025)

Pictures: Reinhard Löwenstein and Annette Schiller

The prestigious VDP winery Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen has been sold. The new owners are the Stuttgart wine merchant Jochen Heigoldt, founder and CEO of Vioneers, as well as two unnamed family societies. Founder Reinhard Löwenstein hands over the management in January 2026 to Thomas Dörrr, so far sales manager at VDP winery Dr. Bürklin-Wolf (Palatinate). According to themselves, the new owners combine "many years of industry experience and a large international network".

"We hand over our life's work with pride and confidence," explains Reinhard Löwenstein. "It was important to us that our winery gets into the hands of people who share the same passion for wine, terroir and quality." With Thomas Dörr and Jochen Heigoldt we found the ideal successors. "Löwenstein will be by the side of the new team in consultation, the existing staff team should also be maintained. Daughter Sarah will take other career paths.

Löwenstein is considered a pioneer of the modern Riesling and has also made dry wines from the Mosel internationally famous. Together with his wife Cornelia and daughter Sarah, he brought Heymann-Löwenstein to the top of the German wine scene.

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

 

Picture: Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen, Mosel - In the Cellar with Reinhard Löwenstein

In the Mosel Valley, this year, we visited 5 winemakers on the Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours:

Reinhard Löwenstein, Weingut Heymann Löwenstein in Winningen;
Markus Molitor, Weingut Markus Molitor in Haus Klosterberg;
Gernot Kollmann a Weingut Immich-Batterieberg in Enkirch;
Oliver Haag at Weingut Fritz Haag in Brauneberg;
Carl von Schubert at Weingut Maximin Grünhaus in Mertersdorf; and
Maximilian von Kunow at Weingut von Hövel in Oberemmel.

We started with Reinhard Löwenstein, owner/ winemaker, Weingut Heymann Löwenstein and did this before visiting the Ahr Region. We then continued with the other Mosel producers. The reason for the special treatment of Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein is that Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein is located in Lower Mosel, just 15 minutes from Koblenz, where the Mosel river joins the Rhine river. The other producers we visited are located in the Middle and Upper Mosel.

Owner and Winemaker Reinhard Löwenstein was our host.

Pictures: Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen, Mosel - Welcome, with Reinhard and Daughter Sarah Löwenstein

Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein

Reinhard and Cornelia Heymann-Löwenstein founded this wine estate in 1980. However the Heymann-Löwenstein family can look back on more than 500 years of winemaking. Reinhard is the 13th generation winemaker carrying on the family name. Today the winery has 40 acres under vine, with 98 % Riesling and 2 % Pinot Noir. Reinhard harvests late - at around 160 days of hangtime after flowering – to achieve physiological ripeness of the grapes.

Pictures: At Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen, Mosel

Terrassenmosel

The winery is located in the Lower Mosel. The vineyards of the Lower Mosel are by far the steepest of the Mosel region on soil composed of blue devonian slate, red slate and quartzite. Some have an inclination of 60 °. The bewitching slate slopes with terraces have made the Lower Mosel area also known as “Terrassenmosel”. This part of the Mosel produces a higher proportion of dry wines than the rest of the region.

Pictures: Vineyard Tour with Reinhard Löwenstein, Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen, Mosel

Barry Bros & Rudd: Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein

Reinhard Löwenstein created his estate in 1980, spending the early years identifying top sites, before settling on five hectares of prime, precipitous Winningen (Lower Mosel) slate slopes. Since then, the estate has grown to 15 hectares, incorporating sites in the Von Blauem, Kirchberg, Stolzenberg, Röttgen and Uhlen vineyards.

Pictures: Cellar Tour with Reinhard Löwenstein, Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen, Mosel

This landscape is both wild and beautiful and is made up of a patchwork of soil types, many of which influence the characters of the wines. Their grower is an eccentric perfectionist and his passion lies in expressing the personality of each of his myriad slate soils. He believes that good “energy” in the vineyard and winery will result in good wine. In an effort to create this, the winery is filled with the soothing sounds of running water and windpipes.

Pictures: Reinhard Löwenstein and Annette Schiller

On a more practical level, the fruit undergoes meticulous sorting in the vineyards; then the juice is given 24 to 48 hours skin contact, before fermenting to as close to full dryness as possible Crucially, Reinhard aims to incorporate between 10 and 20 percent botrytised fruit to his dry wines, imparting complexity and richness. The wines usually achieve around 12 percent alcohol, as they aren’t bottled until well into the summer, unlike more classical Mosel styles, which are bottled in March or April. The result is wine with great personality and energy, just like its grower.

Pictures: Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen, Mosel - In the Tasting Room

Reinhard Löwenstein: Unique Landscape

Reinhard Löwenstein: “The genesis of our vineyards began 400 million years ago. At that time, the Devonian Period, present-day Europe was in the tropics, south of the equator. Near the shores of the Panthalassic Ocean (‘global ocean’), various sediments of the Old Red Continent collected and mixed with alluvial deposits from the sea. Fine clays and sands, shells, coral banks... These hardened to form slate during supercontinental collisions during the Permian Period. In the course of millions of years, in the wake of earthquakes, volcanic activity and mountain-building, new land formations were created. In the Mosel Valley, slate was uplifted to form the steep cliffs that line the river. What a tremendous feat our ancestors performed in laboriously breaking up the rocks by hand and building walls and terraces. It is a unique man-made landscape. Quasi a sublime medium for for growing vines in the stony soil. There’s a taste of the ‘global ocean’ in every sip of these wines.”

Pictures: Tasting with Reinhard Löwenstein, Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen, Mosel

The Wines we Tasted

Pictures: Tasting with Reinhard Löwenstein, Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen, Mosel

2015 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Schieferterrassen
2015 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein von blauen Schiefer
2015 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Kirchberg GG
2015 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Stolzenberg GG
2015 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Röttgen GG
2015 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay GG
2015 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Uhlen Laubach GG
2015 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Uhlen Roth GG

Picture: 2015 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Röttgen GG

Bye-bye

Many thanks Reinhard for a spectacular cellar tour, vineyard tour and tasting.

Pictures: Bye-bye

Postings: Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir (Posted and Forthcoming)

Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir

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Tasting at Weingut Markus Molitor in Haus Klosterberg, Mosel

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Dinner at the 2 Michelin star restaurant Schanz in Piesport, Mosel

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany

Visit and tasting at Weingut Maximin Grünhaus (VDP) in Mertersdorf, Ruwer, Mosel, with Dr. Carl von Schubert 

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Tasting at Weingut J.B. Becker, in Walluf, Rheingau, with Hajo Becker

Lunch at Gutsausschank-Ristorante Weingut von Oetinger in Erbach, Rheingau