During a recent spirited conversation with friends about favorite varieties of wine, frequent contributor Melanie Walker proclaimed the wines from Germany's Mosel Valley among the world's best. She's right, but the German wine industry has done a terrible job educating the world about its products. Quick, name a famous German wine producer. Don't feel bad if you can't--most Americans can't even name a German wine region.

In fact, one of Germany's premier grape-growing regions also happens to be a lovely place to visit. Since Melanie likes Mosel wines so much, I asked her to give us advice on how to see the region and, not incidentally, taste its wines.

Drive too fast on the autobahn, and you'll zip by the length of the Mosel district in about an hour. But if you opt for a slow, winding drive down its riverside roads, a tour can happily last a few days. It's a world of medieval castles, meandering rivers, lush, sun-lit slopes, and terraced vineyards that invite leisurely exploration.

But first a few basics: Mosel wines are characterized by their fresh fruit flavors, latent sweetness, and lively, crisp citric qualities. They generally have a very pale color with a tinge of green and are bottled almost exclusively in the famous "Mosel flute," a tall, slim, green bottle. They're great for summer drinking.

Riesling is the predominant grape grown in Mosel, making up about 60 percent of the total crop. It's also the highest quality grape and the most difficult to bring to full fruition. The next most common grape is the more acidic Muller-Thurgau. Because of the way the Mosel twists and turns along its course, and the varying heights of the hills along the river, the climate can change dramatically from one bend to the next.

The best place to start your tour is, strangely enough, in Belgium. Fly into Brussels to take advantage of good airfares from the US. Renting a car and driving in and out of Brussels is relatively easy.

Melanie says she's had good experience with Europcar (www.europcar.com, 877-940-6900). For example, a manual compact car (Ford Focus) with unlimited mileage, all taxes and insurance, and free roadside service was $287 for seven days in July, based on a recent check. An automatic with the same package was $347. For a price comparison, try a rental car consolidator such as Europe by Car (www.europebycar.com, 800-223-1516).

Melanie suggests tarrying a bit in Brussels. Check out the popular town square at the Grand Place and eat at one of Brussels's legion of gastronomically delightful restaurants. Just off the Grand Place, try Restaurant Armand & Ko (16, rue des Chapeliers, near the Hotel Amigo; 32-2-514-17-63). Then, after a good night's sleep (the Hotel Amigo is a favorite, and it's just been totally renovated), you can drive out of town refreshed the next morning.

Drive from Brussels to Koblenz, the gateway to the Mosel region and the city where the Rhine and Mosel rivers meet. Along the way, stop in Aachen to see Charlemagne's throne and an outstanding treasury in the Dom church.

In Koblenz, Melanie recommends visiting Festung Ehrenbreitstein, the largest fortress in Germany. It dates from the 11th century, and was rebuilt in the 16th and 19th centuries. Take the aerial tram ($6.40), which operates May to October, for a spectacular view of castles and vineyards, Koblenz, and the Rhine. Spend the night at the Hotel Mercure (49-261-1360). Be sure to ask for a room with a river view, and get reservations at one of the local wine restaurants like Weindorf, or Weinhaus Hubertus (49-261-31177), two of the best known.

The next day, press on to Cochem and spend the day stopping in the little villages of Winningen and Alken. In Winningen, drive up to Am Rosenhang Street where an educational wine path meanders along the top of the valley. In Alken, the 12th century Burg Thurant castle looming over the village is a pleasant precursor to the upcoming Burg Eltz castle just outside of town.

Burg Eltz, set in a wooded valley, is one of the truly medieval castles, built during the 12th to 16th centuries. There's a guided tour costing about $4.90, but it's about $2 extra to see the treasury and art gallery. For more information, check out www.burg-eltz.de.

In Cochem, check into the Alte Thorschenke hotel near the river. It's a charming place that dates from around 1332, and the atmosphere is still very much Old World. There's a wine bar, and in warmer months, you can dine outside. Weingut Freisherr von Landensberg, a winemaking company, owns the hotel, and you can sample their wines there or take a tour of the 500-year-old Baron von Landensberg castle and taste the best of their stock in the old cellars. If you're a guest, the hotel will arrange a free visit. Cochem also boasts an imperial fortress called the Reichsburg and a cable car with stunning views.

A few villages away, Bernkastel-Kues is home to one of the most widely recognized wine labels in Germany. About 3,500 winegrowers belong to the Moselland Winzergenossenschaft, a cooperative winery. The large wine shop and tour reflects an established, well-run co-op. Tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays are at 3 p.m. For details, call 49-6531-570.

The old Marktplatz boasts quaint, half-timbered buildings. In September, during the Weinfest der Mittelmosel, the 17th century fountain of St. Michael overflows with wine instead of water. The ruins of the 13th century Burg Landshut offer great views, and the estate's wine shop sells the famous "Doctor Bernkasteler" wine that is said to have cured the city of Trier's Archbishop Boemund II of an illness.

To cap off your Mosel tour, head down to Trier and take a boat trip on the Mosel back up to Bernkastel and see the vineyards from a different perspective. The round-trip takes about four hours and costs about $25.50. Gebruder Kolb (49-651-26317) operates the boats.

Trier is the site of many stunning Roman ruins including the magnificent Porta Nigra and the Imperial Baths. Spend the night at Romischer Kaiser (49-651-97700) in the heart of downtown. Rooms run about $108 for a double and include breakfast. Book dinner reservations at the beautiful Palais Kesselstatt (49- 651-40204). Melanie likes the friendly service, elegant setting, and lovely courtyard for summer dining.

If you're heading back to Brussels to drop off the car, you might want to stop in Luxembourg and enjoy its wealth of public sculptures. Hop aboard the Luxembourg Live Petrusse Express, a gaily-painted streetcar. The tour takes approximately 45 minutes, costs about $7, and is an easy, pleasant way to see the best of the city.

READING A GERMAN WINE LABEL

Because of the difficulty of ripening Riesling grapes, the Mosel has about three premium years in every 10, which makes the label very important in choosing a good wine.

German wine labels are notoriously hard to read. For simplicity's sake, Melanie singled out just a few of the best quality designation categories and actual vineyard labels, though there are many, many other good wines.

The top quality wine designations start with the Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (QmP), which is made from grapes that have been picked at their peak of ripeness. Kabinett is usually a light, refreshing wine made from less-ripe grapes (Melanie's favorite). Spatlese means "late harvest" and can vary in dryness and lightness, but is always made from riper grapes than Kabinett. Auslese is a sweeter wine, often made from botrytized (almost overly ripe) grapes. It usually needs some aging.

Most of the truly great wine is made between the towns of Zell and Serrig just below Trier, where the steepest hills catch the sun. Some of the best labels to look for include Fritz Haag, Carl Loewen, Erdener Pralat, Meulenhof, and Bernkasteler Doctor.

July 2002