Top 100 wines of Saarburg

Discovering the wine region of Saarburg

Saar is a wine-growing Bereich (district) in the Mosel wine region. In 2007, it was renamed from Mosel-Saar-Ruwer to the more simplistic Saar. Like a majority of the Mosel, Saar's vineyards are planted predominantly to Riesling, making wines that range in style from Dry to Sweet. The district follows the river of the same name from its junction with the Mosel at the city of Konz, just west of Trier in the North, upstream to Taben-Rodt in the South, a distance of some 17 kilometers (11mi) as the crow flies.

In total, Saar has around 750 hectares (1,850ac) of vineyards. Across the wider Mosel region, many vineyards belong to religious and charitable bodies based in Trier, and this is particularly the case in the Saar valley. Important growers here include Karl Marx's Old school, a former almshouse, a college for priests and Trier Cathedral. Much of the Saar district is Open to cold easterly winds, and ripening grapes can be a struggle.

The best vineyards are located on south-facing slopes where the vines are exposed to all-day sunshine, to encourage the ripening process. The premier location in the Saar is Scharzhofberg, on a tributary valley to the east of Wiltingen. The Deep weathered blue slate soil here retains heat, which helps to prevent damaging frosts. The mesoclimate in Scharzhofberg sees great temperature fluctuations between intense cold and warmth, assisted by the southern aspect and shelter from the wind.