Days Of Wine And Dozes

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday September 27, 2008

Penny Watson. Penny Watson travelled courtesy of Outdoor Travel.

Penny Watson sips a crisp white wine as she cruises by vineyards and fairytale castles along the Moselle River.

Jeff, a humorous American man with a skittle-shaped torso, has parked himself next to me on the sundeck of the MS Charlemagne. As we bask in the warm glow of a morning that promises more R&R than action, he kicks off the small talk with some pithy observations.

"It's green," he says, sizing up the gloriously luminescent foliage of the vines marching over the steep slopes on the banks either side of us. Then he pauses, allowing me to process his genius. "Yup, it's very green. You can quote me on that."

As Jeff says, the vine-laden valley flanking Germany's Moselle River (or Mosel, depending on where you are) is draped in many hues of that well-known secondary colour.

Its steep, rocky banks, ideal for grapevines with roots that thrive in the slate, are blanketed in hectares and hectares of emerald grape leaves and evergreen forest. Only occasionally do the telltale grey slate roof tiles of Germany's characteristic dollhouses interrupt the greenery. This is one of Germany's oldest and most-recognised wine regions - surely it is also the most scenic.

Our six-night barge cruise begins in the German city of Koblenz, where the river meets the Rhine, and heads south, immersing us almost immediately in the Moselle Valley. From here we skirt along the south-east periphery of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and end close to where the river begins, in the French city of Metz.

While the vines and wines might be first priority for visitors to the region, the history that unravels as we head almost 500 kilometres upstream comes in a close second. Over time the Moselle has channelled an exaggerated trail of s-bends through the valley, creating peninsulas that once provided strategic defensive positions for the hill-top castles and fortresses.

Flags still flutter atop the ruins of many castles destroyed by France in the 1689 Pfalz Wars of Succession, but others retain their fairytale quality, sitting magnanimously above the towns below.

In the town of Cochem, we disembark for a walk through the medieval marketplace and past the baroque town hall before climbing the hill to Reichsburg, a turreted castle raised from the ruins in 1868. From here the river snakes off into the distance, a view that must have occupied the waking hours of history's knights.

Back on the water's edge we venture into the cavernous interior of a German wine cellar where the virtues of the local dornfelder, spatburgunder, moselschoppen and riesling grape varieties are explained.

There are more than 500 vineyards in the Moselle region, 85 per cent of them producing white wines.

The local soil, slate and sunshine, so we are told, conspire to provide the perfect conditions for a crisp, flowery riesling - the region's most popular export.

There is certainly no shortage of wine or fare on board the Charlemagne. Though the trip begins in Germany, the three-course meals are more silver service than sausage and sauerkraut. Mario, the lecherous French chef, makes up in cooking skills what he lacks in social decorum. His haute cuisine menu of French favourites includes escargot de Bourgogne, duck confit, gratin dauphinois, fois gras and, for dessert, millefeuille, profiteroles and creme-brulee.

Julien, the young and effervescent French sommelier, is also on deck. His talent for extolling the virtues of fromage and wine from France's appellation d'origine controlee regions naturally expands the girth of each passenger by a few centimetres each evening.

Given this consumption rate, our landlubbing expeditions are not only enjoyable, they're essential should we wish to each occupy only one seat on the flight home.

After Cochem, we stop midway up the Moselle in Bernkastel-Kues, a twin town famous for its medieval market square and 700-year-old half-timbered houses.

Further upstream, close to the Luxembourg border, the vineyards and countryside give way to more urban scenery you'd expect on the outskirts of a city. We jump on the coach for a trip into Trier, Germany's oldest city with Roman origins dating back to 30BC.

In the city of Luxembourg, a rabbit warren of catacombs is the playground for tourists not afraid of the dark.

Above ground, the architecture is stunning; its high-end shops, restaurants and bars rivalling the best in the world.

Finally we moor the Charlemagne in the beautiful city of Metz, capital of the (quiche) Lorraine region.

The city's cafe-clad contemporary town square makes a fine contrast to the ornate gothic cathedral, arched bridges, shuttered houses and France's oldest theatre and opera house.

"Nice" is possibly how Jeff would have described it, Yes. Very nice.

FAST FACTS

Moselle River Cruises on the MS Charlemagne cost $3390 a person, with a single occupancy supplement of $1140. Prices include transfers from Frankfurt, six nights on board, all meals, wine with lunch and dinner, excursions and bicycles. Phone 1800 331 582 or see www.outdoortravel.com.au.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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