This summer we went out for an aperitif, we went to our trusted Vineria Parolin wine shop, and we asked the owner Matteo to let us taste something different! Pour two glasses of wine, and tells us only that it is a riesling, a beautiful golden yellow, with balsamic notes, sweet notes of honey, fruity with litchy, ripe fruit, a nice acidity that revived and slendered the bite. We remain open-mouthed when he presents us the bottle and read the year of the harvest ... .1977 ... .. we could not believe it! A 40-year-old white wine that did not show them at all
The magic and charm of Moselle wines is represented both by the environmental conditions - often prohibitive - in which viticulture is practiced, and by the grapes that have made this region great and Germany, now considered as an international grape appreciated and sought everywhere in the world: Riesling.
This picturesque region is located in the west of Germany and follows the course of the Moselle river from where it enters Germany, at the junction with France and Luxembourg, to the vicinity of the city of Koblenz where the river flows into the Rhine. Moselle is one of the most northerly wine-growing regions in the world and is located at around 50 ° north latitude, slightly further north than in French Champagne.
The Moselle region has absolutely unique characteristics, not only for the elegance and delicacy of its wines, but also for the landscape that can be admired in these places, where the cultivation of the vine is made difficult and suggestive due to the conformation geological. The Moselle vineyards are among the steepest in Germany and certainly around the world. The vineyards are planted along the steep slopes that slope down towards the Moselle river, a condition that makes harvesting difficult - and at least heroic - difficult. The characteristic slope of the soil also makes it difficult to exploit the incidence of sun rays, a resource that in these areas is both precious and essential to ensure the vine good conditions for survival. The climate is rather cold and it is essential that every single ray of sun is exploited by the vine, moreover - a factor not to be underestimated - the amount of sun that shines in the region is certainly lower than that which shines.
The secret of Moselle's success is also ensured by other essential factors: grape and soil composition. Under conditions like these it is practically unthinkable to cultivate varieties of grapes that need to reach full maturity to be able to express their best, here it is necessary that the grapes are able to give excellent results when it is not ripe. The answer is Riesling. This grape is capable of producing wines of extraordinary elegance and class, and, coincidentally, these results are obtained just when the grapes are not fully ripe. The soil composition of this region also plays a fundamental and determining role. The slate, of which the Moselle soils are rich, is highly porous and is an excellent heat accumulator, ie it is capable of absorbing the heat of the sun - as well as reflecting it - and subsequently transferring it to the vineyards thus favoring the ripening process of the grapes.
The presence of slate in the vineyards is extremely precious both to ensure a better condition of cultivation and to contribute to the decidedly mineral taste of the wines of this region. Due to the steep slope of the vineyards, during the rains the slate rocks slide down, depriving the land of this precious help. In order to ensure the best condition in the vineyards, at the end of the rains the slate rocks are collected from the bottom of the slopes and redistributed in the vineyards. In short, the cultivation of vines in this region can not certainly be defined as easy and practical, but what is surprising about Moselle is precisely the result obtained, not only is it possible to produce wine, but above all excellent wine, appreciated and sought world and considered - rightly - as an extraordinary example of elegance, class and delicacy. The wines of the Moselle are among the longest lived in all of Germany: thanks to their pronounced acidity, white wines can also sustain tens of years of aging in bottle.
We have excellent quality producers that we can recommend: WeinGut Benedict Loosen Erben and Clemens Busch
