Mosel Wine Region: Germany

Date:  9-11 juillet 2011
Location:  Zeltlingen, Germany
Hotel:  Zeltinger Hof
Uferallee 23
54492 Zeltingen, Germany
http://www.zeltinger-hof.de/


One word.  Magnificent.


"White wine heaven" is what the pros call the Mosel, a region I always knew I would visit without a doubt.  In my Court of Master Sommelier class few years back, one of our instructors Master Sommelier Tim Gaiser introduced us to the Mosel, showing us a few beautiful slides of Mosel photos taken with his mobile phone.  I was aghast.  I had never seen such a sight, breathtakingly beautiful grape vineyards on a frighteningly steep incline, up to 75 degrees.  The view was magnificent - lush green mountains surrounding the beautiful Mosel River down below, reminiscent of storybook small German towns.  And exactly so, this is the place where Hansel and Gretal grew up.  It's no wonder why too, they and that witch certainly knew good real estate when they saw it.


As soon as I knew the end date of my previous work project, I immediately booked out one month of holiday in my global calendar.  Next step, booked my flights from JFK in and out of Paris.  Round trip train tickets to Strasbourg, check.  Car rental for the autobahn to Mosel, check (sort of;  those of you who know my France manual transmission story with the two  French police men can insert here).


Driving on the motorways, I knew exactly when I left French territory and entered the famous Germany autobahn territory.  Those of you who have also driven it, know what I am referring to.  Be sure to have a solid German car with you.  I had a brand new Volvo S70 sport sedan, not bad.  Can only imagine what that ride would have been like in a BMW going full throttle (or even something bigger!).


When I arrived in the small town of Zeltlinger, I was completely beside myself.  I had arrived.  Dream.  Come.  True.  Driving up into the tiny town and even tinier streets, I felt huge (Gulliver's Travels) in my giant sport sedan.  When I located my hotel, I could not help but have a huge smile on my face.  This is it.  This is why I traveled so far (even alone if I must!) to come and experience the Mosel for real.


When I checked in to the small and charming hotel, the kind boy by the name of Danny at reception helped me with my luggage up the stairs to my little room.  Inside, a bottle of Mosel wine, wine glass, bottle of still and sparkling water and some fruit awaited me.  Lovely!  I quickly dropped off my things and went back outside to take a walk along these tiny streets surrounding my hotel.  Behind me, the hotel rested snugly against the backdrop of the beautiful Sonnenguhr vineyards.  Literally a three minute's walk.  Incredible!  Surrounding me were small shops and numerous wine tasting shops of what else, Mosel wine.  Hotel Zeltinger Hof boasts sumptious seasonal, organic, locally grown ingredients and also local game (ie, venison!) and fish.  Truly, truly, savory and just absolutely very precisely done cuisine.  You know when you eat something and your body says "Thank you!" because the ingredients are so fresh and pure?  This is it.


Some of Mosel's well sought after wines are not taste-able in a vineyard tasting room.  Instead, it is here at the Hotel Zeltinger Hof where one may taste over 100 kinds of Mosel wines in one sitting (efficient!).  So for dinner, I plunked myself down and got ready for a savory and fresh seasonal local meal (some of the freshest and tastiest ingredients I have tasted, might even one up San Francisco!) paired with local Mosel very dry, dry, sweet, and very sweet wines.  Happy!  The next day, after a few hours of trekking into the vineyards on foot, I took the afternoon to spoil myself with a 20 flight wine tasting.  Danny paired different flights for me, as I exclaimed, "Isn't his fun?!"  He, taking his job seriously, said to me, "Well no, it's actually difficult - " since I suppose, not everyday someone comes in with this kind of determination and priority to taste wines.  Later that afternoon, I took a well deserved siesta, and then went back down to the dining room for yet another incredible dinner meal and some more wine.  What I love about this place is sleeping just upstairs from the award winning restaurant - certainly takes the logistics out of all day drinking.  I will definitely be back.


After my first meal at Zeltlinger Hof, I fell in love with Germans and German food (and of course I had already been in love with German whites!).  In San Francisco, the restaurant "Zuppenkuche" is a very far cry from what Zeltlinger Hof presented me with... the below dishes which I now crave so much!  Healthy, organic, fresh, light, savory, tangy, good for you.  Though it was just the beginning of summer when I arrived in the Mosel, I had already begun imagining re-visiting some time in near future during the Christmas holidays.  This kind of Hansel and Gretal small town charm truly evokes warm holiday feelings.  The Mosel wine valley, its wines, and the Hotel Zeltlinger Hof will always have a very special place in my heart.  If there is only one wine region in the world you must visit - Mosel is it.


And... reading my own blog and reminiscing on this recent visit is making me thirsty...  PROST!