Where to stay in Mosel River Valley area

Hi, I’ve got a trip coming up to Germany and Alsace in October. I have a couple of days planned in the Mosel Valley. My primary interests are wine, food and hiking around in a beautiful landscape. I will have a car.
How is Cochem for a home base? The chatter online is that it is either perfectly situated or tourist hell. Also considering Bernkastel-Kues, which also seems divisive.
But again, will have a car and won’t be stuck. Just want a great base from which to explore!
Welcome any suggestions for better spots.
Thanks!

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Thanks! Also found a B&B owned by Prum just north of Bernkastel that looks like it may fit the bill nicely.

That’s not JJ Prum but I’ve heard it’s nice.

For a fancier place look at Schanz in Piesport.

Also the Zeltinger Hof

We’ve stayed at Rieslinghaus’s B&B a couple of times in Bernkastel. Nothing fancy but good value with modern rooms. The town is obviously very popular with tourists but we like it nonetheless.

Plan to make a reservation here. Thanks!

We also enjoyed our stay at Zeltinger Hof. when we visited a number of years ago… centrally located… Very nice proprietor, he even sent us to a sheep farm to pick up some cheese wile spending an afternoon pedal-boating on a pretty lake just above Zeltingen.

The food at Schanz is [worship.gif]

We stayed in Trier and used that as our home base while in the Mosel-Ruwer-Saar for a week.

I’d suggest first figuring out where in the Mosel area you want to go, then find a place to stay near that. Driving is very slow, from lower Mosel to Trier is 3 or 4 hrs IIRC.

Tough call, but it looks like Bernkastel is as “central” a place to stay as any, with many good wineries in the general vicinity. I made a reservation at the Prum Guest House, just on the outskirts of town. I’ve got 10 months to plan, but my only wish is to see a part of the world I’ve never seen and drink some excellent riesling. Would welcome any must-stops in the region. (After Mosel, we’ll drive to Alsace for two days, staying in Kayserberg, and then head up the German Wine Road to the Neustadt/Deidesheim area for two days. All new areas for me.)

The Pruem Guesthouse is very nice. Right on the river. Also only 3 or 4 doors down from JJ Pruem. Also a short walk down Ufferallee is Weingut Kerpen.

Thanks! I’m booked there. Welcome any other advice on nice tasting stops in the region.

Pardon the intrusion, but I’d like to piggyback on this thread to solicit tasting recommendations as well. In June (unfortunately right after Mythos Mosel), my family and I are staying for 3 nights at Schloss Lieser, 5 min outside of Bernkastel. As an occasional drinker of Mosel riesling, and a big fan of Alsatian wines, I am looking for places that will educate me further. I’m also quite keen on experiencing mature wines. As a point of reference, I’ve most enjoyed visits to family wineries such as Weinbach and Kientzler in the Alsace. With that in mind, I have a few questions:

  • Are the big guns like Dr. Loosen and Dr. Pauly Bergweiler worth visiting? Or are they overrun by cruise ship passengers?
  • Is the Vinothek in the wine museum worthwhile? I’m intimidated by the 160+ wines which I fear could be mainly unremarkable.
  • Any experiences visiting Schloss Lieser, Markus Molitor, or J.J.Pruem?

BTW, thanks in advance to those that recommended Schanz. Made a reservation there. Anyone have an idea of dress code?

All questions I’d like to know the answer to, too. Have you tasted in Alsace? Spending two days in Kayserberg after Bernkastel and am researching that area, as well. I’m not going until October so please report back on your June trip!

I wouldn’t call Loosen or Bergweiler big guns. Sure Loosen makes a gazillion bottles of Doctor L but not in Bernkastel. I wouldn’t bother to visit either personally.

The Vinothek is an ok visit. I went once (I’ve been to Bernkastel 50+ times). It’s nice with non wine geeks. There are a few decent wines too.

I’ve visited those you then mention but have always been lucky to tag along with a major importer. I can’t comment on the public tours but I expect all would be interesting!

Schanz for dinner is pretty relaxed for a 2*. Jeans and a shirt is fine

Denis Fung
Congratulations on staying at Schloss Lieser. It is a beautiful property that has only recently been full rehabbed.
I disagree about Erni Loosen’s wines. The Dr. Loosen estate wines are excellent and the winery is well worth a visit. He’s doing some very interesting long barrel aged GG dry wines that I like very much.
A very short walk from Schloss Lieser is Weingut Sybille Kuntz. She makes terrific dry riesling and some late harvest BA and TBA. The tasting room is right on moselstrasse.
JJ Pruem in Wehlen is obviously a big gun.
Not far from Lieser in Brauneberg is Fritz Haag. Very good wines. Closest to you at Schloss Lieser is Schloss Lieser. The vineyards are behind the Castle. Thomas Haag is the proprietor and winemaker. Very good wines.
Just across the river from Lieser is Weingut Max Ferdinand Richter next to the Richtershof Hotel. Fine quality wines and not seen in the US very much.
BTW I love the wines from Kientzler in Ribeauville.

Thanks Russell! Always hard to gauge what to wear, especially when I have a 13 year old in tow.

Thanks kmason for the specific recommendations!

WRT to Alsace, yes, we tasted, but only a handful of places. I recommend Weinbach (had some older wines), and if you drive 20 minutes north of Kayserberg, you should go to Kientzler, whose wines impressed me for their quality and affordability. On the way to Kientzler, you’ll pass Maison Trimbach, so that’s certainly worth checking out, although my visit was a bit impersonal.

Bear in mind Schanz is excellent but service can be slow. I only say it because you mentioned a teenager.

Thanks for the warning. Fortunately, my son is not only tolerant of our extravagant meals, but he’s also game to try nearly anything we put in front of him (e.g. bug larvae and offal)!