Piesport-Mosel Germany Rhineland-Palatinate
Frequently Asked Questions
Right at the foot of the slope, in a tight bend of the Moselle. The village then shows itself as it is: a few streets, a great many cellars, two thousand years of the trade.
The little drops of gold vineyard: about 80 hectares in one continuous block, the largest unbroken vineyard on the Moselle, planted almost entirely with riesling on slopes reaching 60 degrees.
Visit the Roman press, climb into the vines for the view over the whole bend, then compare parcels in a village cellar. A late afternoon passes very pleasantly.
A fourth-century press uncovered in 1985 at the foot of the slope, seven basins and a capacity worthy of an imperial trade: the largest known north of the Alps. Carefully restored, it can be visited freely all year.
In mid-October, at the press festival, when costumed participants tread the grapes as they did sixteen hundred years ago. The rest of the year the site is visited without any staging.
The trails switchback above the slate roofs, and half an hour of effort opens the view over the entire bend. Slopes reach 60 degrees in places: firm-soled shoes and a hat for the glare.
Rieslings both ripe and cutting, peach and gunflint, that age for decades. Village cellars serve them without ceremony, often poured by the winegrower.
The tavern winegrower plate brings together smoked charcuterie, farm cheeses and rye bread, with local trout starring on good days. A local sekt as an aperitif sets the tone.
Spring for the cherry trees dotting the slopes white, October when the valley turns gold and the presses run day and night. At the height of summer the glare on the slopes makes itself felt.
The euro, and bring cash. In a wine village, several cellars run on notes. Bottles travel well wedged in a suitcase: ask for the travel carton.
