Mosel is one of 13 German wine regions (
Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (
QbA and
Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the
Mosel River . Before 1 August 2007 the region was called
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is
Germany's third largest in terms of production but is the leading region in terms of international prestige. The region covers the valleys of the rivers Moselle,
Saar, and
Ruwer near
Koblenz and
Trier in the federal state of
Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65
° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the
Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of
Bremm, and therefore referred to as
Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the
Riesling grape, but
Elbling and
Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, low in
alcohol,
crisp and high in
acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than "fruity" aromas.