The Mosel wine region in Germany is one of the best known areas of the world for the production of Riesling wine. Here the vines are grown on incredibly steep slopes and in the photo you can see the tracks that are installed for a specialised device that travels up and down the slope to support the harvest. The soil is also extremely rocky and filed with slate and shale which we show in another photo below. The steep slopes create excellent drainage and sun exposure for the vines while the rocky soil forces the roots to dig deep for water. Vines that struggle through rocky soil tend to produce quality grapes and the stones contribute to the notable minerality in these wines.
In countries like the United States Riesling is often known for some of its sweeter exports but the dry Rieslings from this area are excellent and entirely different.
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