The Caves Legill of Moselle

Discovering the wine region of Moselle

Moselle is an appellation covering white, red and rosé wines from an area in the administrative department of Moselle in Northeastern France. The Vineyard">Vineyard zone covers land on both sides of the Mosel River (known locally as the Moselle), before it flows north to form the heart of Germany's famed Mosel wine region. Moselle wines are most often light, Aromatic whites with crisp Acidity. They are made predominantly from the Auxerrois Blanc and Müller-Thurgau grape varieties.

The Moselle AOC zone extends along the banks of the river in western Moselle, covering 18 communes in that department plus one in the neighboring department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. Most vineyards lie on south-facing hillsides to make the most of sunlight exposure, an important consideration at the area's relatively high latitude of 49°N. In fact, aside from a few vineyards in the very north of Champagne, Moselle boasts France's northernmost AOC-defined area. Historically, Moselle (and indeed much of the Lorraine region) was an important area of wine production in northern France.

Before the introduction of appellation laws, vineyards near Metz were planted to Pinot Noir. These were used in the production of Champagne, or – while Lorraine was under German rule following the Franco-Prussian War – Sekt. The land under vine in Moselle decreased following the crisis involving Phylloxera, which reached the area in the early 20th Century. This was followed by a period of increasing industrialization and then World War I, which had a major impact on all forms of agriculture in northeast France.