Masterpieces of the Mosel Top wines of the VDP GROSSER RING Mosel-Saar-Ruwer September 19 & 20, 2013 Contents Page Masterpieces of the Mosel 2 300 fine Mosel wines from the new vintage Organizational details Possibly the richest in character of all German Rieslings VDP GROSSER RING Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 4 More than a century of top quality A splendid past From “natural” wines to Prädikat wines The 1990s: the Renaissance of Mosel Rieslings VDP – national organization 6 Over 100 years of Prädikat winegrowers in Germany VDP GROSSER RING Mosel-Saar-Ruwer – the growers 7 Mosel Saar Ruwer Facts & figures 12 GROSSER RING at a glance The three-tier VDP classification model Rumors of their death have been greatly exaggerated Chronicle of the Prädikat wine estates in the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer Contact www.organize.de Masterpieces of the Mosel 300 fine Mosel wines from the new vintage Following the resounding success of the events in 2011 and 2012, the VDP GROSSER Ring is once again playing host to “Masterpieces of the Mosel”. The fourth winegrowers’ presentation involving all VDP producers from the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer will be taking place at a combined event together with the annual auction of Prädikat wines – held this year for the first time in the Robert Schuman Haus on the Markusberg overlooking Trier. On September 19 visitors will be able to taste the exciting 2012 vintage at the winegrowers’ stalls. A cold, wet spring and a mixed summer had curbed expectations and lowered quantities in 2012, but patience, late picking and a measure of luck ultimately resulted in wine of exceptional quality. “The 2012 wines do not have the opulence of 2011 or the electrical charge of 2010, but they have an aromatic acidity and are elegant and fine wines that come close to the ideal of a Mosel wine,” explains Egon Müller-Scharzhof, President of the GROSSER RING, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer e.V. A contrast is offered by a retrospective tasting of selected wines from the exceptional 2003 vintage, which prior to the harvest had been heralded as the vintage of the century but which very quickly was subjected to sweeping criticism. “Following the saying ‘Rumors of their death have been greatly exaggerated’ borrowed from Mark Twain, we would like to show that it is more important to take a closer look for oneself and to make a careful selection than to pay blind attention to headlines and commonly held beliefs,” Egon Müller- Scharzhof continues. The evening get-together after the presentation taking place for the first time will be held in the restaurant Schlemmereule situated in Trier’s old town and will allow visitors to round off the day in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Guests are requested to “Bring your own bottle of Mosel wine” as an addition to the producers’ wine that will be available. Culinary delights will be provided by a combination of buffet and finger food from the kitchens of Peter Schmalen. On the following day – September 20 – the traditional Prädikat wine auction will take place as usual. The culmination of this year’s Masterpieces will then be a dinner in the evening held in the festive surroundings of Schloss Monaise. Under the title “King Riesling invites you to his palace”, selected top-class Riesling wines from Mosel, Saar and Ruwer will accompany a five-course dinner prepared in the kitchens of Hubert Scheid. The weekend that follows offers you the opportunity to explore the region at your own pace or to travel on to the sample auction of the VDP regional association of the Nahe valley. Organizational details MASTERPIECES OF THE MOSEL Thursday September 19: 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. Wine presentation for trade visitors & press Robert Schuman Haus, Trier, Markusberg from 5:00 p.m. Admission for private wine enthusiasts Admission for private wine enthusiasts € 45 // free admission for trade visitors & press www.organize.de from 7:00 p.m. Get-together – Bring your own bottle of Mosel wine Restaurant Schlemmereule, Domfreihof 1b, Tier € 55 per person (includes finger food & buffet) / in addition to the producer’s wines every visitor is asked to bring a bottle of Mosel wine Friday, September 20: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m Pre-tasting (€ 40) Robert Schuman Haus, Trier, Markusberg from 1:00 p.m. Prädikat wine auction (€ 45) Robert Schuman Haus, Trier, Markusberg Pre-tasting & auction: € 70 // free admission for trade visitors & press from 7:00 p.m. Dinner – King Riesling invites you to his palace Schloss Monaise, Trier € 145 per person (including ,meal, wine and water) All tickets for private wine enthusiasts (presentation on September 19, pre-tasting and auction on September 20) and tickets for both evening events (get-together on September 19 & dinner on September 20) can be purchased, and trade visitor registration (presentation on September 19, pre-tasting and auction on September 20) can be made, online at www.vdp-grosserring.de www.organize.de Possibly the richest in character of all German Rieslings Like a magnifying glass, Riesling of the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer enlarges the nuances of the soil in which it grows, and brilliantly reflects one of the world’s most beautiful viticultural landscapes with its typical, steep vineyards. Whether harmoniously dry, off-dry, fruity or lusciously sweet... or a QbA, Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese or Eiswein... the Rieslings from this region are impressive on the palate and unique for their low alcohol content. They are mineral-rich wines with a fine fruitiness and a backbone of lively, stimulating, and refreshing acidity; they have an almost lilting, filigree finesse and a seductive play of fruity aromas and flavors. With their typical acidity and natural fruity sweetness these Rieslings are perfect partners with today’s healthful, aromatic cuisine. They number among the wines with the greatest aging potential in the world. Some of the most renowned and sought-after producers work next to dynamic young growers who are enthusiastically committed to saving the steep sites. This is only possible with traditional, manual methods of production and respect for a centuries-old cultural landscape and its traditions. The Riesling boom of recent years in the USA and other export markets is in part due to the delicacy, finesse, and elegance of the great Rieslings from the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer. Depending on soil, microclimate, and wine producer, they are the products of a unique wine culture with an international following. These Rieslings are increasingly in demand worldwide and set a style for an entire generation of winegrowers and consumers, just as they did a century ago. They are experiencing a remarkable renaissance internationally – and well on their way to doing the same in Germany. www.organize.de VDP GROSSER RING Mosel-Saar-Ruwer More than a century of top quality There were outstanding Mosel wines 150 years ago, and around the turn of the century, Rieslings from the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer acquired cult status and were auctioned for record prices. With the current popularity of Mosel Rieslings on the international scene VDP growers are keeping with the tradition of their splendid past and demonstrating that ongoing efforts to achieve quality during the past century have paid off. In the long run, Mosel Rieslings are the most successful German wines in the international marketplace. The wine region along the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer valleys, since 2007 officially known as the “Mosel”, comprises the world’s largest area of steep vineyards; is one of Europe’s most northerly wine-growing regions; and is one of Germany’s oldest and most well-known viticultural landscapes. The region stretches from the confluence of the Mosel with the Rhine at Koblenz in the northwest to Trier in the southwest, where Romans had already planted the first vineyards, and thus, probably introduced viticulture into Germany. Although most of the region’s vineyards were planted with Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) through the Middle Ages, Riesling took the lead in the 17th century and has remained the Mosel’s “signature wine” to this day. A splendid past The Riesling grape, the queen of white wines, is at home in the Mosel and is usually painstakingly cultivated by hand on slopes, some of which are dangerously steep, in soils of stony slate and shell-limestone that store heat well. Despite its relatively northerly location, the climate in the Mosel is mild, and optimal sun radiation ensures good growing conditions. It comes as no surprise, then, that the finest wines from the Mosel have traditionally fetched top prices. Mosel growers have been committed to quality for 150 years. Even in the 19th century, their wine collections won awards at expositions. Wine auctions have taken place regularly since 1897. At the turn of the century, Mosel Riesling was an essential in the households of Europe’s royal families, and with great effort, it was exported to the colonial elite in the far corners of the earth, as well as to the United States. From “natural” wines to Prädikat wines In addition to favorable climatic conditions and the experience and know-how of the wine- growing families, the success of Mosel Rieslings has long been fostered by extraordinarily high quality standards. Vintners who abstained from the then usual practice of adding sugar and/or other substances to their wines were known as producers of “Naturweine”, or natural (unchaptalized) wines. They adhered to self-imposed standards of producing their wines as naturally as possible, and they were dedicated to quality rather than quantity early on. An important advocate of natural wines was the mayor of Trier, Albert von Bruchhausen. He not only organized three regional consortia of “Naturweinversteigerer”, or estates that sold their natural wines at auction, into the “GROSSER RING” in 1908, but also founded a similar association on a national level, the “Verband Deutscher Naturweinversteigerer (VDNV), two years later, with headquarters in Trier.