An ancient white grape of the upper Mosel. Aromatically very restrained, its defining feature is piercing acidity. That acidity serves it both as a dry white and as a base for German sparkling Sekt.
Believed to have grown in the Mosel valley since Roman times, it ranks among Germany's oldest varieties. It covered vast areas in the Middle Ages before retreating as Riesling rose, and survives today only in small pockets of the Obermosel upstream.
An unadorned grape that competes on acidity alone. It barely reaches the market, yet it is inseparable from the history of the Mosel. If you find a bottle, it is worth tasting as a glimpse of German wine before Riesling took over.