Roman heritage

Wine – Culture – Joy

Relaxing times in a Roman-inspired landscape

A lovely shady spot directly on the banks of the Mosel. The surface of the water reflects the blue of the sky and small mosquitoes dance in the sunlight. How steep the vineyards appear over on the other side!

“The river valley is planted with the green grapes of Bacchus to the highest point of the sweeping hillside.”

Perhaps the Roman Ausonius sat right here as he thought of these words. The poet, scholar and prince educator at the imperial court of Trier first described winegrowing along the Mosel some 1,700 years ago! Maybe he also enjoyed the midday sun back then and listened to the lapping of the water. There were no dams along the Mosel in his day, and the riverbed offered beautiful places to bathe.

I believe that coarse satyrs and blue-eyed nymphs meet here on the far shore (...). It is also said that the satyrs dance with their sisters in the crystal-clear tide, always when the fire disc of the sun is at its highest and the burning heat gives them solitary hours without the danger of human discovery. Then the nymphs leap gleefully through the tides, dunking the satyrs under water, while these awkwardly try to grasp their slippery limbs with their hands.

Ausonius (Roman poet, scholar and prince educator at the imperial court in Trier)

Perhaps Roman boats sailed by where he sat, loaded full with wine barrels and amphorae. The Romans pressed grapes directly at the foot of the vineyards, loaded the must onto boats and transported this to the large wine cellars in Trier.

Roman wine presses can still be found in the best winegrowing locations today, such as in Piesport, Brauneberg and Erden. Barrels were delivered to military bases to supply the troops, and many a good drop was destined for export. With quite a good return, it seems.

Drei dunkle Keramikgefäße mit handbemalten Verzierungen

Sandsteingebilde eines Weinschiffes aus der Römerzeit

But this success is being surpassed today. All around the world, the name “Mosel” is synonymous with fine, mineral white wines with notes of herbs and fruit and relatively low alcohol content. And it’s not only the region’s elegant fruity sweet wines that are internationally sought after and among the most expensive in the world. Dry premium wines from the Mosel’s steep slopes also achieve the highest ratings from wine critics and record prices.

Wine is, without a doubt, the most vibrant cultural asset left behind by the Romans in the Mosel Valley. They laid the foundation for a distinctive culture of enjoyment and made a lasting impression on the landscape. But it’s the young winegrowers who have made Mosel wine what it is today. Impressive historic buildings are joined by contemporary wine architecture to create an oasis of pleasure for discerning wine lovers with an affinity for culture. It’s an exciting blend of antique and ultra-modern, and exactly what your next trip to the Mosel should be all about!

Experience Roman heritage up close...