Trier is the center of wine producers from the famous Mosel-Saar-Ruwer area. A lot of great wine cellars are in the middle of the city. If you ask you can have sometimes even cellar tours! A short note: the year 1999 has been one of the best in this century (also many other great vintage years in the 90's), 2000 is not really an outstanding vintage but nevertheless you can buy some Auslese or Beerenauslese. So, if you are there don't hesitate to buy a few bottles that can easily be stored for more than 10 or 20 years!

It is not only the wine made by grapes that people in Trier and around produce. You should try also the apple-wine wich is called VIEZ; it is hardly known outside the area and you wont find it somewhere in the States I suppose. When it is fresh made (in September and October) it is sweet and is nearly free of alcohol. Later in the year it becomes more and more sour and has in the end about 7 %. Then people like to drink it with water (Viez-Schorle), limonade (Li-Vi) or even coke (Co-Vi). It should be served cold and it is really refreshing then! By the way it is in the season one of the cheapest drinks in the pubs...

In the last years champagne became more and more popular at the Mosel/Saar/Ruwer area. The German name is SEKT - the expression champagne is legally protected for those sparkling wines coming from the Champagne / France. Nevertheless German producers have a great success producing Sekt from the native Riesling grape. To judge what I say you should try yourself...

For it is the time of the grape harvest, late September and October is a worthwhile time to be in Trier and at the River Mosel. If you would like to you could even try to work for a week or two in the vineyards! It will be an unforgettable experience.

For those who wish to taste before buying wines and sparkling wines, there are several locations both in the inner city (Wein-Information, Konstantinplatz 11; Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium-Güterverwaltung, Weberbachstrasse 75; Bischöfliche Weingüter, Gervasiusstrasse 1; Weinbaudomänenverwaltung, Deworastrasse 1) and in the suburb Olewig (obtain the wine tasting schedule in Tourist Information Trier).

Wine tastings for individual visitors are possible in the Wein-Information at the Basilika, in the Domstein and at a number of vintners in Olewig (schedule in the Tourist Information). Wine tastings for larger groups can be arranged ahead of time also at the five wineries Bischöfliche Weingüter, Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium, Kesselstatt, Vereinigte Hospitien, and Weinbaudomäne.