Saar Wine Region

One of the best Riesling-producing regions in Germany is Saar. It's one of the Mosel wine areas, which is located in northwest Germany. In 2007, it changed from Mosl-Saar-Ruwer to a more straightforward Saar. Like its namesake, vineyards in Saar are mainly planted with Riesling grapes that make wines that range from dry to sweet. Saar is considered to be a wine lover's favorite wine destination in Germany.

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History of Saar Wine Region

The Moselle river was originally in the Roman province of Gallia Belgica and they named it Mosella when they conquered it. It's called 'Mosula' in the local dialect, meaning 'the little Mosa'. During the Middle Ages, this region belonged to the Duchy of Luxembourg which was founded in the 14th century.

To put it simply, the border was positioned further east, leaving both banks of the area from Perl to Konz to Luxembourg. The Saar and Middle Mosel were part of the Electorate of Trier. This is important because the Upper Mosel was not subject to Clemens Wenceslaus's so-called 'Rieslingsedikt of 1787', which was a regulation to plant more Riesling in the Mosel region.

Saar wines were enjoyed by many people around 1900. They're among the most desirable wines found in international restaurants. Wines from Saar, including some from Van Volxem, were sometimes more expensive than wines from today's most renowned wineries in the world.

The Terroir of Saar Wine Region

Saar has around 750 hectares of vineyards. In the wider Mosel region, many vineyards belong to religious and charitable bodies based in Trier, and this is particularly the case in the Saar valley. Important growers here include Karl Marx's old school, a former almshouse, a college for priests, and Trier Cathedral.

Much of the Saar district is open to cold easterly winds, and ripening grapes can be a struggle. The best vineyards are located on south-facing slopes where the vines are exposed to all-day sun, which helps them ripen quickly.

The tributary valley of Scharzhofberg is the perfect place to grow tomatoes in the Saar. The blue-green soil retains heat very well and prevents frosts in these conditions. The mesoclimate of Scharzhofberg causes occasional high oscillations in temperature that can go from cold to warm. This is often due to the southern aspect as well as its shelter from the wind, which provides it with a unique minerality and acidity that carries into its wines.

Grape Varieties from Saar Wine Region

According to Lüer, German vintners in the Upper Mosel region started planting other grapes apart from Elbling in the 1990s, around the same time as their Luxembourg neighbors.
Did you know that the Mosel Valley is home to more grape varieties than just Riesling? However, you’ll find Riesling to be the dominant grape in many of the vineyards, as it accounts for over 60% of the land. Elbling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Kerner, and Auxerrois are also worth considering. You might come across some Pinot Noir and Chardonnay too.

Wine grapes in the Mosel can be difficult to grow, but those in the Saar area are even more difficult and don't ripen every year. This area goes along the final course of the Saar river - a tributary of Mosel - and from which it gets its name. Grapes grown in this area are more likely to be close to the optimal level of ripeness every few years and in a bad year, wines will have high acidity. Saar grapes provide some of the most elegant wines with a strong fragrance. When grapes reach the perfect level of ripeness, they're more obedient and higher in sugar levels. Eiswein is also one of the best, owing to its delicate flavor.

Food to Pair with Saar Wine

Potée Lorraine

The potée is a French type of soup made in an earthenware pot. It's a classic French recipe that often originates from the Lorraine region in France.

A potjie is a South African dish that combines meat, potatoes & vegetables to bring you an authentic meal. Traditionally, pork shoulder or pork knuckles are used in the dish as the main ingredient–they're normally cooked whole and then cut off the bone. Cook your meats for a couple of hours. You can then add vegetables like cabbage, carrots, turnips, and leeks into the pot.

The final addition is a traditional French sausage which is cooked together with meat and veggies. This nutritious dish is usually served in a particular order: the soup comes first, followed by sliced vegetables, and then the meat. It's usually served warm, but due to the lengthy preparation procedure, it's typically cooked in bulk.

Pâté Lorrain

Pâté Lorrain is a French dish consisting of traditionally a mixture of pork and veal, although modern recipes also suggest other varieties, such as rabbit or chicken.

The beef is cut into thin, uniform slices and marinated before cooking in a mix of wine with herbs like thyme, parsley, and bay leaves. Most often it is served with Baccarat - the town in Lorraine where this dish originated from.

The classic French recipe dates back to 1392, and it can be found in "Taillevent," the oldest French cookbook published at the time. The best way to serve this wonderful dish is warm or chilled with a side of salad.

Tête de veau

A classic dish from French cuisine is the Boeuf à la Mode, which is a calf’s head cooked until tender with gelatinous meat and skin. The tongue and the brain are cooked separately, using various spices. The three types of meat (leek, celery root, and pork sausage) are then served together, in thick slices on the platter with potatoes and carrots. Finally, a drizzling of ravigote is added

The specific origins of this dish are debatable, with some claiming the British invented it after they executed King Charles I. Others say it comes from the French Revolution, where a well-known decapitation followed.

This same dish used to be made using a pig’s head, however at some point (and for the mystery of culinary fashion), the pig fell out of style and the calf’s head started being used instead.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Saar Wine Region