Ruwer Wine

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer is Ruwer

The Ruwer Valley has been settled since the sixth century BC, and vines are said to have grown here in pre-Roman times, which is why we like to call the Ruwer the oldest German winegrowing region. The viticultural area of the Ruwer Valley covers less than 200 hectares. Due to the narrow valley, the vines are cultivated almost exclusively on steep south-facing slopes. The dominant grape variety is Riesling, as on the Mosel, with 90 percent of the vineyard area.

In the smallest part of the Mosel winegrowing region, the vines thrive exclusively on Devonian slate, with mostly gray and blue slate. Only the Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg has predominantly red slate. In the Karthäuserhofberg, the gray slate soil has veins of iron ore, and Nies´chen has a lot of fine earth and a stony share of 40 percent.

Something that takes a long time …

The vineyards of the Ruwer are located at a slightly higher elevation than those on the Middle and Lower Mosel. The ripening period of the vines is correspondingly long and gives the wines their own delicate character. Ruwer Rieslings often show as much acid as those of the Saar, but display in good years and from the best sites a more expressive fruit, coupled with high minerality. Aromas of gooseberries, ripe peaches, and black currants, as well as blackberries and raspberries, are typical of the finely nuanced Riesling wines of the Ruwer Valley. Today, the fine fruity Rieslings from the best Ruwer sites are among the most outstanding German wines. Its fine nature, elegant acidity, and mineral spice, combined with high-ageing potential, characterize the Riesling wines of the Ruwer and establish its worldwide reputation.