Wine lovers looking for a quick getaway to one of Europe’s most beautiful regions should consider the Mosel Wine Region of Germany.

The heart of the region is a mere 3 ½ hour drive from Amsterdam and a short 1 ½ hour drive from Dusseldorf.  A rental car is highly recommended to fully enjoy all that Mosel has to offer.  The region is filled with neat little towns, country roads lined with castles and vineyards on steep hills overlooking the beautiful Mosel River.

For those who have not been exposed to German wines or think of German wines as overly sweet, a 3-day visit to the Mosel region will provide a new perspective.

Day 1:

An ideal place to start this short wine tour is in Cochem.  Cochem is an attractive town famous for 1,000 year-old, late-Gothic Cochem Castle.  Cochem is a great place for wine enthusiasts to lunch on traditional local fare before heading south to begin wine touring.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N8TPhN0cok&feature=player_embedded] After lunch, travelers can head south to Briedern where they’ll find a charming inn named Mosel Landhaus.  The inn is small and inviting and the hosts, Sylvia and Jan, offer warm hospitality and well-appointed, newly renovated rooms.  This inn is centrally located within a short distance of popular vineyards and attractions and is quite affordable.

The hosts of Mosel Landhaus will make insightful recommendations for places to have afternoon drinks and dinner.

Day 2:

Weingut Lipmann in Beilstein.

Riesling tasting at Weingut Lipmann in Beilstein

After a lovely breakfast at Mosel Landhaus, a short drive east to Beilstein offers cute shops to visit and the welcoming Weingut Lipmann for a tasting of the region’s best whites.  The friendly staff at this cozy winebar, also known as a Weingut, offers a cheese course to pair with the wonderful Mosel wines.

Day 3:

Vine-covered village in Bernkastel

Weingut Friedrich Storck

A trip to Bernkastel begins a full day of wine tasting.  The drive to Bernkastel offers beautiful views of the regions’ most expansive vineyards.  A great place to stop for a first tasting is a quaint wine bar named Weingut Friedrich Storck in Traben-Trarbach.  The place offers a vast selection of German whites and modest selection of reds.

Steep vineyard in Wehlen near SA Pruem Winery

After lunching and visiting Traben-Trarbach, it’s only a short drive to Wehlen, home of well-known SA Pruem Winery, with its breathtaking vineyards spread over steep hills.

Cellar tasting at Mosel Landhause in Briedern

On the last evening at Mosel Landhaus, guests can participate in a wine tasting in the inn’s wine cave.  I strongly urge patrons to partake in this activity as the wine cave is full of charm and the inn’s hosts are proud to share their love of Mosel wines with guests.

My husband and I are wine lovers and selected Briedern and Mosel Landhaus as a central place to tour the Mosel River Region.

What a pleasant surprise it was to arrive at this riverside inn with its welcoming facade. The hosts, Dutch-business-people-turned-inn-keepers, treated us and the other guests like family. They couldn’t have done more to make us feel at home and to recommend restaurants, cafes and places of interest.

Our room at Mosel Landhaus was beautiful and recently remodeled. It featured a direct view of the Mosel River, which made for a romantic experience. Linens were white and pale yellow and the bed was very comfortable. The bathroom was brand new with a huge corner shower and all new fixtures.

The breakfast, which was included with our stay, offered the best that Mosel has to offer. The scrambled eggs cooked in salty butter with home-grown fine herbs were the best I’ve ever had. The plates of cheeses and regional meats, the incredible bread, the velvety yogurt and the great coffee were the perfect start to perfect days.

On our last day at Mosel Landhaus, the owners invited us to a wine tasting in the inn’s cellar. What a treat! Make sure you do this tasting as it was a great time and the perfect place to learn about German wines.

I highly recommend Mosel Landhaus to anyone who wants to feel pampered and who wants to leave Mosel feeling like they’ve stayed with family. The hosts, Silvia and Jan are experts at attention to details.

Moselstrasse 19, Briedern 56820, Germany