the winegetter

Three grand cru vineyards (from left to right): Ürziger Würzgarten, Erdener Prälat and Erdener Treppchen

It has been a while since I last posted a vineyard photo and I remember that I had been meaning to post more. Yet, I don’t have all that many great photos of vineyards so this series is a slow project. But today I came across a stunning photo, taken with a fish eye lense of three vineyards that are very dear to me: the Ürziger Würzgarten, the Erdener Prälat and the Erdener Treppchen. The stretch of the Mosel is actually quite straight in that area, it is the fish eye lense that makes it look like it curves.

The Würzgarten stretches further out to the left of the photo. The tiny white thing you see on the left is the Ürziger Sonnenuhr, one of the many sun dials along the Mosel. It is the old heart of the Würzgarten. In the center of the photo, under the red rocks, is Erdener Prälat, one of the top sites on the Mosel. The micro climate is insane: It is the first plot to lose snow in spring, and the vines usually are up to 14 days ahead in their growth. To the right starts the stretch that is the Erdener Treppchen. If you read my piece about the Karl Erbes Kranklay Spätlese: The area slightly to the left and up from Prälat is the amphitheater that forms the Kranklay.

There are now hiking trails through these very steep and exciting vineyards. If you get a chance, I can only encourage you to take a day, hike, and then try wines at one (or more) of the wineries. It sure has made for some of my best days on the Mosel.

The photo was taken by Christian Hermann of Dr. Hermann winery.