Melsheimer Reiler Mullay-Hofberg Riesling Kabinett

The Man... Thorsten Melsheimer is a giant. He looks like a rugby player. He looks like a guy who could pull trees (or grapevines) right from the earth with his bare hands. He lives in the village of Reil, a hamlet nestled into the narrow northern Mosel, as far as I can tell the prettiest part of southwestern Germany. His surroundings magnify the impression that Thorsten is a mythical force that lumbered in from the wilderness, stepping over hillsides and knocking together the skulls of people that got in his way.

The Vineyards... Thorsten does not believe what he does is necessarily viable. He makes organic  wine from the best, steeply terraced vineyards above Reil. This is brutally slow and labor intensive. He needs 14 workers to harvest 1,800 bottles of wine per day from his vineyards, meticulously making selections and sub-selections of the best fruit. In 1970 the Melsheimer estate was 5 hectares farmed by 12 full-time, year-round workers. Today it is 12 hectares and Thorsten is the only full-time laborer, with seasonal help added as needed when it can be afforded. He charges more than neighboring estates that farm conventionally, or work in the relatively flat fields on the "wrong side" of the Mosel. He is quietly unmovable from a course that leads to truly excellent and deeply, essentially German wines.

The Future... What is at stake? In 1970 there were 70 wineries in Reil. Today there are 20, and Thorsten believes one-third of those remaining will not be passed down to the next generation. Great sites have been abandoned. Which is fuel for Melsheimer, who already has plans to rehabilitate another outstanding, unworked vineyard high above his home. But as important vineyards are forgotten, the unique beauty of this place becomes fainter.