Mosel winery recommendations

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May 6, 2012 | 8:39 am
  #1  
My partner and I are planning a trip to Germany in early September. We are huge Mosel riesling enthusiasts and are looking for recommendations of wineries and wine villages to visit.

We are staying in Trier 1 night, and Beilstein (near Cochem) 2 nights.

While we will have a car, we are also open to hiring a guide to drive us around between tastings. If anyone has recommendations, they would be much appreciated.

Vielen dank in advance.
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May 6, 2012 | 11:27 am
  #2  
Quote: My partner and I are planning a trip to Germany in early September. We are huge Mosel riesling enthusiasts and are looking for recommendations of wineries and wine villages to visit.

We are staying in Trier 1 night, and Beilstein (near Cochem) 2 nights.

While we will have a car, we are also open to hiring a guide to drive us around between tastings. If anyone has recommendations, they would be much appreciated.

Vielen dank in advance.
The Mosel has so much to offer I would recommend slowing down and just enjoying the trip. We have made dozens of trips up the Mosel and just kind of enjoyed slowing down and enjoying the trip. It is amazing how some of the vineyards are built on REALLY steep cliffs.

While I can't recommend any specific wineries, the town of Bernstein-Kues is just adorable. The Burg Eltz castle is pretty cool as well.

Make sure you spend plenty of time at Trier to soak up the Roman Ruins as well as the Dom. When faing the Dom you get a great lesson in architecture. Standing in the square the old cathedral, on the left, is Romanesque and the one on the right is early Gothic.

Viel Spa!
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May 7, 2012 | 2:27 pm
  #3  
You will have so much to choose from, you will wish you had a longer stay! Also, your two locations may seem close, but will be slow traveling.
It is a lovely drive from the busy city of Trier along the Mosel, and the road crosses back and forth across the river through many pretty little villages you'll wish you had time to explore.
I think you're okay with driving yourself, as the tasting rooms provide small samples and are careful to give you bread with the wine (no tasting on an empty stomach!). Sweet wines do go down easy, just don't stop TOO often!
One of our favorite vintners is the young family who own Weingut Bollig (Doris and Wolfgang), just a short way up the river from Trier in Trittenheim, so it would be a good first stop. They are very hospitable and have GREAT wines. They speak excellent English and enjoy showing off their vineyards and their wines. You might want to get a couple of bottles to savor in your room in Beilstein!
Next you will go through Piesport, home of the famous "Goldtropfchen" riesling--will certainly want to do some tasting there!
Bernkastel-Kues has a medieval town square full of half-timbered houses around a center fountain, the "Pointed" House" built in the 1400s, and the also famous Bernkasteler-Doktor vineyard wines. If you have time, do go into the town and wander a bit; I think you'll find it as charming as (and perhaps less touristy) than Cochem.
Traben-Trarbach, Briedel, Zell (with its picturesque pink palace and "Black Cat" rieslings), Alf-Bullay and Ediger-Eller are all other riverside villages where we've gotten good wines, all before you reach Beilstein.
If you go north on the river road from Cochem later, perhaps to see the wonderful Burg Eltz, the village where you make the turn to go to the castle is Muden, and it has a great restaurant: the Hotel Sewenig is directly on the river and has an interesting history (river flood stages are painted on the side) as well as good wines to enjoy with lunch on your way back from the castle.
Have a wonderful time!!
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May 15, 2012 | 7:07 pm
  #4  
Thanks so much for the replies ! We're really looking forward to exploring the region, even if our time is short.
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May 15, 2012 | 8:08 pm
  #5  
Raimund Pruem has a rental villa on the river just opposite of Bernkastel-Kues (cannot remember the name of the village). He is one of the biggest producers in the region.

You will have a lovely time. It's a beautiful area that has a fairly modest tourist population.
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May 16, 2012 | 12:36 am
  #6  
Quote: Thanks so much for the replies ! We're really looking forward to exploring the region, even if our time is short.
Just a reminder regarding driving in Germany:
I strongly recommend to be careful with wine testing/drinking when you still intend to drive afterwards !
Although alc level of up to 0.8 promille is "legal" youll run into serious trouble already at 0.5 promille in case of an accident !

You might want to use trains and/or local buses between the villages/towns along the river during the day.
The train route from Trier to Koblenz has stops at most towns along the river and buses connect towns/villages without a train stop.
... and carrying a few bottles of wine in a box (or even without a box) in the public (e.g. on the bus/train) doesnt raise interest in Germany unless you are clearly below drinking age (16/18) even if youd drink wine e.g. on the train - not very stylish but some people do - ...
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