Pfarrer-Johannes-Hau-Fountain

The people of Piesport have good reason to be thankful to him. Not only did he provide Piesport with a baroque jewel, but he is also generally considered to be the pioneer of Riesling cultivation in the Moselle region. Two decades before (!) Clemens Wenzelslaus, the last Elector of Trier, issued instructions that the entire Moselle region be given over to cultivation of the Riesling grape, priest Hau convinced the people of Piesport to exclusively grow Riesling vines on their slate-rich soil, which turned out to fit perfectly well. Since then, wine from Piesport has become ever more famous as high-quality Riesling wine. Not least for this reason the designation "Piesporter" as place of origin was synonymous with high quality Riesling wine. Pastor Hau personally sold selected cuttings from his vicarage vineyard to many nearby villages and thereby made a significant contribution to the continuing spread of the Riesling grape along the Moselle.