Let’s figuratively journey to the Mosel River along the border of Germany & Luxembourg, where the river runs toward the Rhine between the Hunsruck Mountains and the Eifel region.

Here the microclimate, which is affected greatly by the river, is warm enough to ripen the grapes, but mild enough to allow them to develop fully into amazing wine that may be the best examples of dry & sweet Riesling in the world.

Schist, slate & shelly limestone dominates the steep terraced slopes where these noblest of grapes have been growing & cultivated since Roman times. The rocky soil & precipitous slopes make a vine & winemaker work hard to produce the fruits of its labor, but the results are extraordinary.

Riesling is a most versatile varietal. No white grape the world over has the acidity and structure to age as well as Riesling can. Picked early, Riesling can become a phenomenal dry wine capable of being paired with spicy foods, or it can be picked very late, over-ripe & frozen to produce a sweet, sipping dessert wine. This is achieved without the aid of Botrytis or ‘noble rot’. Eiswein as it is called is a process of picking the berries and pressing them at night while frozen, very late in the season. The concentrated juice runs free, while the water of the fruit crystallizes and remains behind in the form of ice.

Some of these world famous wines are known to go for $1000-$2000 a half bottle! Perhaps more accessible are the $10-$20 dry Rieslings, steely, aromatic & excellent with spicy food like Grilled Striped Bass with orange ginger chile sauce. Enjoy!