A wine fan in the Mosel

In early August, I was back in the Moselle region. A month earlier, I'd visited the Douro Valley in Portugal, and I was struck by how similar these regions are. A "spot the differences" poll on Instagram revealed that it wasn't so easy to tell them apart. Bizarre, right? You wouldn't expect that if you'd never been there. At least, when it comes to wine, they couldn't be more different.

Traben-Trarbach as a base

We'd booked a very chill Airbnb, a sort of loft, not necessarily designed for privacy, but otherwise fully equipped with a panoramic view of some protected forest and the sunset – what more could you ask for? Our accommodation was a five-minute drive from Traben-Trarbach, a charming wine village that's (or seems) a bit younger than Bernkastel-Kues. Both are heavily geared towards wine tourism, but the average age is higher in the Mosel. You have to look past that. With the wine bar "Die Mosel," Traben-Trarbach's newest addition, they'll hopefully attract a younger clientele to this fantastic wine region.

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Restaurants

At Reiler Hof, we had the most expensive schnitzel of our lives. I seem to remember paying 28 euros per schnitzel, but it was very good. We chose a Clemensbusch GG 2012 and felt like royalty. Naturally, with a view of the Moselle.

Reiler Hof you are at Moselstraße 27, Reil – you can also sleep , but keep in mind that it is also a popular destination among seniors.

The Mosel Vinothek is undoubtedly the best wine bar in the Mosel region. Here you'll find a wide selection of wines, which you can also buy to take home. But it's more fun to relax on the terrace and enjoy the beautiful river view. They don't serve dinner, but they do have an extensive snack menu, including homemade croquettes, fried padron peppers, and various cheeses.

The Mosel Vinothek can be found on Rißbacher Straße. 13 in Traben-Trarbach.

Wineries

I previously wrote a piece about " wine trips less than four hours away ," which also featured the Mosel. The great thing about the Mosel is that you're always welcomed with open arms. Most wineries even have a tasting room. Unlike other wine regions, the visit takes place primarily at the table, tasting the wide range of wines, rather than in the cellar or vineyard.

Winery Markus Molitor

Weingut Markus Molitor has a beautiful tasting room with a long table that seats—I estimate—50 people. They offer various tastings, which you can book in advance, but you can usually also show up on spec. If you want to be sure of a spot, it's wise to book in advance. You can forget about tasting the full range. Markus Molitor produces around 80 to 100 cuvées a year. So do a little research beforehand so you're fully prepared. Will you go for dry or sweet? Riesling or Spätburgunder? Jancis Robinson has provided extensive tasting notes on her website, so that's... a useful starting point .

Markus Molitor , Haus Klosterberg, Stadt Wehlen
Available in the Netherlands via Verbunt-Verlinden.

Clemens Busch

Clemens Busch, based in Pünderich, shouldn't be missing from your list. We were treated to an extensive tasting where we sampled various GGs in succession. These GGs all come from the same Grosse Lage: Marienburg. While you're only allowed to make one GG per Grosse Lage, there's a catch. Marienburg is divided into several sub-vineyards, such as Falkenlay and Rotenpfad, each of which can be labeled on the bottle. The terroir can vary considerably. A quick way to find out? Look at the color of the bottle caps: red is for red slate, gray for gray slate, and blue for blue slate. Lesson learned. This can vary from producer to producer, however. Markus Molitor uses the color of the caps to indicate the sweetness of the wine.

Clemens Busch , Kirchstraße 37, Pünderich
Available in the Netherlands at Les Généreux stores.

Immich-Batterieberg

While Markus and Clemens still manage the tanks themselves, things are different at Immich-Batterieberg. At the helm and behind the tanks is Gernot Kollmann, who began his winemaking career at Dr. Loosen. In 2009, he took over Immich-Batterieberg, which had declared bankruptcy. Gernot is the kind of winemaker you can listen to endlessly. He knows a tremendous amount, has seen a lot, and is also not afraid to share his opinion. Wonderful. And the wines are fantastic—I can't say otherwise.

Both entry-level and higher-end cuvées. Different from what we tasted. Rich Rieslings with an infectious minerality you can't get enough of. I wasn't familiar with the estate yet, but I won't forget it (and I also picked up a box).

Immich-Batterieberg , Im Alten Tal 2, Enkirch
Available in the Netherlands via Smaragd Wijnen.