The Mosel Bridge: state terrorism!

 The building of a brutal bridge leading to nowhere

Outstanding beauty in process of being spoilt 

by the controversial Mosel Bridge 

(above and below)

 Eyesore bridge under construction

Masters of Riesling: Mosel views via Dr Loosen

 Urziger Würzgarten

Yesterday we finished in the Mosel looking at the vineyards and wines of Ernie Loosen, although he was away in France with a winemaker from Château Ste Michelle (Washington State, USA). Getting an internet connection has been very tricky, so time only for a few photos with a more detailed report to follow once I'm back later this week. 

Tortured slate strata on the Mosel

 Barges on the Mosel

The amazingly steep slopes of the Erdener Pralat 

So steep are slopes that over time the roots 

of vines move away from their supporting posts

 Rack and pinion railway to get up the very steep slope

 

 Flowering successfully over the grapes (Riesling) 

are now expanding fast

 Wehlener Sonnenuhr

Schloss above Bernkastel in evening light

 
Weingut Dr Loosen

Ernie Loosen's nephew, Daniel, who will be doing a stage@Dönnhoff 

The trip is organised by ABS agencies.

Masters of Riesling trip

Early Sunday morning light on Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Mosel

Off later this afternoon on a Masters of Riesling trip to the Mosel and Rhine. We will be visiting the Leitz, Loosen, Gunderloch, Dönnhoff, Guntrum and Fürst estates. Here are a couple of photos from my last Masters of Riesling trip in 2006.      

Rüdesheim on the Rhine

Germany: vineyards in the Mosel and the Rhine

 Early summer light on the Wehlener Sonnenhuhr reflected in the Mosel: June 2006 

Above and below

More scouring of the archives. This time June 2006 and a trip to Germany to taste Riesling. An appropriate choice as I have been tasting some Rieslings from The Wine Barn today. 

 A small party of Angels on the ferry over the Rhine

 

 

The Kirsch Angels ride again

 Bee on a rose

 Vineyards@Rüdesheim

 Fort beside the Rhine

 Steep vineyards, a barge and the Rhine

 Vineyards@Rüdesheim

Petition against the Mosel Bridge

Wehlener Sonnenuhr – early morning 10th June 2006

The world famous Mosel vineyards are threatened by the building of a new motorway bridge. Here is an opportunity to add your name to the petition protesting against the construction.

Message from Sarah Washington:
'A small practical task to help save the Mosel valley and Riesling vines from desecration.

The German gourmet magazine DER FEINSCHMECKER has begun an online petition to help save the valley and vines from the politician's bulldozers and concrete.

On the left hand side of the following web page you will find an English translation of the petition and instructions on how to fill it in. The petition is further down in the centre of the same page.

http://www.b50neu.de/feinschm_e.html

You have until the 1st of December to sign the petition and circulate this link wildly. (After so doing you will accrue undying appreciation from all corners of the planet.)

News in brief:

Building work is moving ahead in several places (digging holes and clearing land). To counter this the debate is finally hotting up here in Germany. On Tuesday 3rd November the story was covered on the highly respected investigative news show Frontal21: http://frontal21.zdf.de/ZDFde/inhalt/13/0,1872,7921069,00.html'

Related articles

Jancis Robinson MW: Please fight Mosel madness 11 May 2009
Jancis Robinson MW: Last chance to stop the bridge 17 August 2009
Mike Steinberger (Slate: 10th September 2009): I'm tasting tar, traffic cones, motor oil...

Echoes from the New York Times of an earlier fight to save the vineyards of Vouvray from the TGV. The plan to build a cutting through the vineyards was abandoned. Instead the line was moved a little further east and sent through a tunnel with the tracks laid on a rubber carpet so that bottles of Vouvray being stored above would not be shaken.

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• A tragedy unfolds in Germany's Mosel region (wineanorak.com)