Hi Eric
I’ve never actually visited the Cathedral in Worms. In the note I wrote perhaps I wasn’t clear that I was referring to the Cathedral in Trier.
Ah, so I guess we were talking about the same restaurant and church.
Yes
This is a great thread. One more piece of advice. If you are planning on returning with wine. Bring one or two 12 bottle shippers with you so that you can fill them up for the return trip. Something I have done many many times, returning with Weil, Donnhoff, Kessler, etc.
Alan, I’d definitely try to group producer visits that are nearby one another. As John advises, Karthäuserhof and Maximin Grünhaus are across the Ruwer from each other and close to Trier.
Ken’s recommendation to visit Das Landesmuseum in Trier is an excellent choice.
Eric lists Becker’s for fine dining. I’d include Schloss Monaise and Bagatelle as well. If you’re near the Porta Nigra stop by Brunnenhof, which has a beautiful courtyard and a pretty good all-Mosel wine list. Full disclosure: I do the list there.
John, you’re referring to the Weinstube Kesselstatt. As the name suggests, it mostly has wines from Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt and a quaint patio in front of the Liebfrauenkirche, which is adjacent to the Dom, or Cathedral of Trier. There was a restaurant next door to the wine tavern, but it never seemed to work out, despite different restaurateurs.
Thanks everyone - sorry, Mark, Lars, etc. - I had missed the last few responses, very helpful. Lars, where are you based? I had been hoping to meet you at Rieslingfeier but I ended up getting a cold that weekend; if you live near any of the areas I’m visiting it would be fun to meet.
We are now thinking of staying a night in Trier, so that would eliminate some of the driving if I spread our visits in the Mosel over two days. Anyone have a favorite place to stay in Trier or nearby?
A few more questions:
We are thinking of taking a boat ride down the Rhine - do they return you back to the same point at the end of the tour? (or how do I get back to my car)
Also, is there any unofficial dress code at the wineries. Is it rude for me to be in t-shirt and shorts when we visit wineries?
Thanks all for all the help!
They’re pretty casual, but it never hurts to be dressed neatly. I’d wear long pants. Plus, if you end up in the cellars, you might be cold. However, on a couple of dozen visits over the years to German wineries, Max. Grunhaus and Schlossgut Diehl are the only places where I’ve been shown the cellars, so perhaps that won’t be a problem.
Alan, you’re welcome. I live in Trier. You can find my contact details on my website. As for hotels, there are a number of options. Deutscher Hof is a good address and in the city center. Of course, there are fancier and simpler hotels as well.
You can take boat rides on the Mosel and Rhine. They usually return back to the starting point.
At the moment, it’s cool. Early last week, it felt like summer. And over the weekend, it was wintry. This is typical April weather. You can dress casual, though.
Hi Alan
I don’t often stay right in Trier but I had a good experience at the Roemischer Kaiser which is right in the middle of the city. Not overly fancy but well maintained and clean and very well priced.
As far as shorts and tshirts the cellars will be quite chilly even in warm weather. You’ll be glad if you’re wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt.
+1 I’ve stayed their twice. It’s fairly spartan, but clean and centrally located.
+1
haha, this is awesome. I will be visiting Trier, Cologne, and some yet-to-be-planned wine areas in late May. Was going to ask many of the same questions as Alan but now no need!
Thanks all, that helps. Lars, I will reach out to you if I think I can squeeze in some free time while in Trier. Doug, hope to see you on the wine trail!
By the way, what are the categories of wines to look for especially? For example, are there certain kinds of wines that are found much more cheaply in Germany than in the U.S., or found only in Germany, etc.? Special auction bottlings and such?
the rubber hitting the road…My original plan, based upon Tuesday evening arrival into Frankfurt was:
Tuesday/Wed in Cologne
Thursday/Friday in Trier
Saturday/Sunday in Mosel (Bernkastel)
Monday in Nahe
Tuesday morning departure from Frankfurt
I didn’t consider that a lot of wineries would be closed on Saturday (which it appears) and all on Sunday. Also, Thursday May 30th seems to be a holiday (the Feast of the Corpus Christi) - will many places shut down for that?
Any advice on the best way to rejigger my plan so as to have some more wine-tasting time?
Germany takes weekends and holidays seriously, so you may be better going straight to the Mosel and spending the weekend in Cologne, where there are museums and more going on generally. (Don’t expect shops to be open Sunday, though, and things still close around 4 on Saturday, I believe – by law.)
How were you going to get to Cologne on arrival? By train? Will you have a car?
The cellars are chilly for sure, but I am barely in them and taste barrel samples out of bottles in tasting rooms mostly.
Alan,
I can hook you up with Steinmetz. So can Lars.
Thanks Lyle - really appreciate your offer. Gonna sit down with the wife this weekend to plot out our itinerary, then will reach out to you, Ken and others who kindly offered introductions. Be in touch soon.
Best,
Alan
Hi John,
I’ll be driving the whole time. I’m renting a car upon arrival at the Frankfurt airport.
Yea, your advice seems best…do the route in reverse and probably drive back towards Frankfurt Monday night so I don’t have to rush before the flight home.
While I can’t hook anyone up with amazing contacts, I can give some tips on wine trips to Germany. I own a home in the Nahe region and lived there for several years, I grew up in Mainz, and I go back often (last time a couple of months ago).
From where you are based, Alan, the Rheingau is the closest wine region to explore. If you can make it, I highly recommend having dinner at Burg Schwarzenstein. It is expensive, but the food is amazing, and the view from the patio over the entire Rheingau is absolutely unparalelled. Even for a German like me, this was something that was impossible to be blase about.
The bridge you will cross (Schiersteiner Bruecke) to drive to Rheinhessen and the Nahe has some nasty speed control cameras that will take a pic of you and your car, and your rental company will simply charge your credit card for the amount of the penalty. I recommend following speed limits on the bridge at all times. I got zapped in August of 2011 and it cost me $50 or so for a fairly minor speeding event.
From where you are based, Rheinhessen and Nahe are not far in distance, but driving can take time. For one thing, it always seems there is construction everywhere. Also, traffic especially on A3 and A66 is often disasterous and bridges always provi for backups, too. It is especially advisable to avoid rush hour traffic for commuter times to and from Frankfurt. Give yourself 1 hour from Liederbach to Rheinhessen and as much as 2 hours to remote parts of the Nahe (Doennhoff/Schaefer Froehlich/Emrich Schoenleber). Getting to the Mosel will be even more painful.
If you go to the Nahe, especially Doennhoff, do not miss Gut Herrmannsberg. It used to be called Gutsverwaltung Niederhausen Schlossboeckelheim and may still occasionally be referred to as such. They have amazing views westward over the Nahe region, including Doennhoff’s town of Oberhausen. They also make some very nice wine, and serve some pretty stellar food.
If you drive up the Rhine to get to the Mosel, do make a stop at Weingur Weingart in the Mittelrhein. Excellent wines at very fair prices and Florian and his wife a amazing hosts.
Lastly, there are now a number of surprisingly good properties near Mainz that are not considered Rheinhessen. I recently tasted Spaetburgunder and a couple of Rieslings from Mirjam Schneider and really liked them. Equally, Weingut Fleischer makes some very good Spaet and especially a Syrah. I know it sounds weird…Syrah from Mainz, but it is seriously good.
And make sure to check if there are any wine festivals in your area while you a there. They a often a very inexpensive and fun way to experience German local life, mingle with the locals, and try some decent, albeit rustic wines.
If you have any questions or need help, let me know. I am happy to help any way I can.
Thanks so much, Steffen - that is awesome info. I am definitely going to Donnhoff so I will be sure to leave enough time to account for construction and keep out of trouble with the speed traps. I’m also looking into spending a night at the Gut Hermannsberg guesthaus for a night then driving in to Trier the next day. Thanks for the tips! I imagine I will have some more questions at some point so thanks for offering to be a resource. By the way, any other sights we should try to see that are close to Donnhoff et al?
Those are great tips on spaetburgunder and the syrah sounds really interesting. I hope I can find a way to squeeze those in but I’m trying to not get blamed for turning this into an all-wine trip 
Will let you know how it all comes out.
Great info in this thread - thanks to all who chimed in. I’m going to be visiting the Mosel next week – does anyone have any tips on bringing wine back to the US? I was considering bringing two empty 12-bottle styrofoam shippers with me and loading them up, but if I could find shipping material over there that would be a lot easier. Anyone have any experience with this?