International Pressabout the High Mosel Bridge |
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BBC NEWS
June 28 2010 |
Rescuing the Riesling
They call it "a bridge too far". By Oana Lungescu |
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The Vancouver Sun
Jun 28 2010 |
Mosel motorway threatens prized riesling vineyards
Plans to build a motorway through the picturesque Mosel valley are threatening some of the most important riesling vineyards in the world, says a coalition of celebrated wine critics. By Allan Hall |
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Telegraph.co.uk
Jun 28 2010 |
Germany to build motorway through Riesling vineyards
Germany plans for a four-lane highway through the Mosel wine-growing region, threatening the future of some of the most important Riesling vineyards in the world. Allan Hall |
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WineWisdom
June 11, 2010 |
Ongoing campaign to stop the Mosel bridge
... In today's geopolitical climate neither the bridge nor any onward infrastructure are thought to be necessary. ... by Sally Easton MW |
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THE INDEPENDENT
June 2 2010 |
How a bridge divided the Mosel valley
... Mr Schenk and the opponents of the bridge say that the flyover will save lorry drivers a mere five minutes of driving time, and that vehicle-polluted rainwater draining off its access roads could pose a serious threat to the soil in surrounding vineyards. "It is ecologically devastating, economically nonsensical and to top it all it is ugly," argues Ulrike Hoefgen, a Green Party MP from the region. ... by Tony Paterson |
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THE INDEPENDENT
June 2 2010 |
Hugh Johnson: A priceless region in wine terms - but of little value to the government
... There are two other much bigger areas in the same state - Rheinland-Pfalz - with many more voters. But it's going to ruin the environment in a tranquil spot. In this beautiful valley, you will hear traffic for evermore. The state's minister of transport (and agriculture too, curiously enough) wrote to me, asking me to shut up. I wrote back saying telling him exactly what I think about his project. He hasn't answered. Hugh Johsnson |
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BEELD
26. Mai 2010 |
Wijnopstand tegen MOEZELBRUG |
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The Local Germany's News in English May 13, 2010 |
Bridging discord in the Mosel Valley
The Mosel Valley is known for its scenic views and Riesling vineyards, but plans to build a massive new bridge have brought discord to this idyllic part of Germany. David Wroe |
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The New York Times
May 11, 2010 |
Before a Bridge Slices Through Vineyards, It Divides German Winemakers
RZIG, Germany... Opposition has snowballed in recent months, with British wine writers like Hugh Johnson and Stuart Pigott attacking the idea. ... John Tagliabue |
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Bloomberg
May 8, 2010 |
'Monster' Cold-War Bridge Sparks Protests by Mosel Winemakers
"This is the piece of the Mosel which is the most intact, which produces the most famous Rieslings," Loosen said at his slate-roofed villa near the town of Bernkastel-Kues. "The vineyards have a reputation worldwide. This huge bridge spans the whole landscape. Our only chance is to fight, to make as much noise as possible." Catherine Hickley |
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internetgourmet.it
May 8, 2010 |
Una firma per bloccare il ponte che distruggerà i vigneti della Mosella
Angelo Peretti |
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DW-WORLD.DE DEUTSCHE WELLE April 17, 2010 |
Germany's Riesling vineyards threatened by controversial bridge
Matt Zuvela |
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Telegraph
April 9, 2010 |
New German motorway threatens prime riesling region
British wine critics have united in opposition to the construction of a four-lane motorway through the heart of Germany's riesling-growing region. |
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THE INDEPENDENT
April 9, 2010 |
Brit wine buffs join campaign to halt Mosel autobahn
"This really is a very special place," explained Jancis Robinson yesterday. "We Brits have had to shake them up a bit and say to them 'don't be so supine'. The French are very effective at standing up to these proposals. I cannot think of another project this enormous being allowed anywhere near such unique vineyards anywhere else in the world," she added. By Jonathan Brown |
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GUARDIAN
April 8, 2010 |
British wine critics turn their noses up at new autobahn
Motorway in Mosel valley seen as threat to the world's best riesling vineyards Kate Connolly |
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wijnexperience
April 8, 2010 |
Schandalige plannen in de Duitse Moezelstreek
De Britse medestrijders brengen de strijd om het kroonjuweel nu naar de Duitse hoofdstad. Tijdens een proeverij midden april in Wilmersdorf willen Johnson, Pigott en hun collega Jancis Robinson met riesling van de Moezel tegen de aanleg van de snelweg protesteren. De groene politici en wijnkenners Joschka Fischer en Renate Knast hebben zich al solidair verklaard en hun komst toegezegd. Wijnjournalisten gelden in het algemeen als teruggetrokken levende, gecultiveerde mensen, maar als het om Graacher Himmelreich of Wehlener Sonnenuhr gaat, schijnen ze alle belemmeringen kwijt te raken. 'Ik roep iedereen op tot een grote opstand' aldus Stuart Pigott in een internetinterview. 'Ik roep op om alle middelen te gebruiken, behalve geweld. Waarom zullen we niet een pop van minister-president Beck in het openbaar verbranden?' Paul Op ten Berg |
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SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL
April 7, 2010 |
British Wine Critics Fight to Save Beloved Rieslings
British wine critics are normally a restrained bunch, but the planned construction of a road bridge over Germany's Moselle River, which could threaten some of the world's best Riesling vineyards, has them up in arms. One prominent wine-lover is even calling for a "massive uprising" against the project. Ralf Beste |
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The New York Times March 26, 2010 |
In Germany, a Highway Threatens the Mosel Wine Region
... The Mosel vineyards are among the most unusual and singular in the world. Nowhere else has riesling been made in the delicate, fragile style achieved in the Mosel. Could it be that German politicians simply don't understand the broader cultural value of what they are threatening? Eric Asimov |
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treehugger
March 7, 2010 |
Road Plan Threatens World's Best Riesling Vineyards
"Here is the very best [Riesling] vineyard, and they're going to drive a motorway through it?" wine critic Hugh Johnson, one of the founders of the save-Mosel group International Riesling Rescue, told the BBC. "It's like knocking down a cultural monument!" by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey |
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decanter.com
February 2010 |
This mad, destructive, unnecessary road is on course to pollute the most historic stretch of one of Europe's loveliest rivers, forever....
... it is happening in Germany's Middle Mosel, in the finest Riesling vineyards on the planet - the slatey slopes of Wehlen, Graach, Urzig and Zeltingen. Hugh Johnson |
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FINKUS BRIPP
Nov. 23, 2009 |
SAVE SOME RIESLING, STOP THE B50 -
OR GODZILLA WILL (TIME'S RUNNING OUT) Not only will this "kinda" ruin the natural beauty of the area but also damage natural resources and destroy cultural wealth built up over thousands of years - the world renown and loved Mosel Riesling! |
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vinavisen.dk
Nov. 23, 2009 |
Motorvej gennem berømt vindistrikt
I Mittelmosel i det tyske Mosel-distrikt fremstilles nogle af verdens bedste hvidvine på Riesling-druen. Som vi fortalte i uge 39 vil den tyske regering nu opføre en firesporet motorvej og motorvejsbro gennem dette vin-mekka - til stor forargelse for vinproducenter og vinelskere verden over. Mariette Tiedemann |
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TIMES ONLINE
Nov. 22, 2009 |
On the bottle: German wine
Bob Tryer on new-wave German winemakers and this week's liquid hunches In the meantime, let's place a curse on the German transport authorities, who plan to violate the serenity of the Moselle with a 525ft-high motorway bridge. (See germanwinesdirect.org/moselthreat.html.) This is not just unspeakable vandalism, it's also horribly scary: imagine being stuck that high up if your car breaks down. Bob Tryer |
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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Nov. 21, 2009 |
The Threat to the Mosel
Speak with any winemaker and talk is not of the quality of the 09s but of the construction of the B50, a four-lane road bridge and highway, that if completed as planned will threaten the vineyards of some of the world's greatest wine estates. Situated along the Mosel river between the German towns of Bernkastel-Kues and Traben-Trarbach, the bridge project threatens the ecosystems of world renowned vineyard sites such as Zeltingen, Wehlen, Graach and Bernkastel. Winemakers believe the situation has reached a crisis point as politicians are determined to go ahead with the project. Will Lyons |
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bibendum-times.co.uk
Nov. 17, 2009 |
Riesling, sausage and bulldozers in the Mosel Valley
2009 is the year to try to get to the Mosel if you can as the German government is forging ahead with a plan to build a whacking great motorway and bridge right through the middle of some of the region's most famous vineyards and villages. Good thinking guys - it's the vinous equivalent of plonking a McDonalds halfway up the side of one of the Pyramids. ... Dan Coward |
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ryanopaz.com
Nov. 17, 2009 |
Save the Mosel, from the Mosel Monster Bridge
I received this email after meeting the main organizer against this terrible problem. I signed the petition, and I hope you would too. |
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Vins-Confédérés
Nov. 15, 2009 |
Un projet de pont hallucinant sur le vignoble de Mosel
Un pont dont la construction risque de détruire à jamais un panorama exceptionnel et des vignobles tout aussi exceptionnels. ... Laurent Probst |
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antib50.meinweinblog.com
Chinese Site Nov. 08, 2009 |
支持反對興建德國Mosel中游B50公路
反對興建德國Mosel中游B50公路目前巳到達百熱化階段，工程包括興建一絛行車隧道由西面的Wittlich市，穿過Ürzig的山丘，連接一絛高160米跨過Mosel河的四線行車天橋，再連接一條向東的公路。 Ho Kei Yip |
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AIS Lombardia
Oct. 01, 2009 |
I vigneti della Mosella minacciati dal progetto B50 neu: scriviamo per chiederne l'abrogazione
La Mosella Centrale rischia di essere stravolta da un mega progetto: l'autostrada a 4 corsie "B50 neu" che dovrà emergere da una galleria proprio di fianco al famoso vigneto Ürziger Würzgarten... Fernando Araújo-Coelho |
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Revista de Vinhos
Sept. 30, 2009 |
Assunto da Mensagem: Mosela em risco com o projecto "B50 neu"
Aprecio muito os Riesling alemães e, há dois anos, dediquei vários dias áMosela. ... Fernando A Coelho |
| The Sunday Times |
A bridge too far: UK wine lovers battle Germans
... an example of "state vandalism" that would damage "the most legendary vineyards in Germany" by disrupting water distribution to the slopes where grapes grow. ... |
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Financial Times
Sept. 26, 2009 |
A gash in the fabric of ages
At the heart of the story of the Hochmoselübergang is a tragic self-undervaluing on the part of the Mosel winegrowers and, more broadly, the German nation. By Harry Eyres |
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Guardian
Sept. 25, 2009 |
German voters face poll conundrum
"I would be frightened about what would happen if there was no viticulture and tourism. There would be no jobs, the valley would die" By Simon Tisdall |
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wine.co.za
Sept. 16, 2009 |
International wine authors and top Mosel winemakers agree:
Mosel bridge a disgrace to wine and culture |
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drloosen.com
Sept. 16, 2009 |
Stop the Bridge Update
By Dr Ernst Loosen |
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Dr.Vino
Sept. 15, 2009 |
A Bridge Runs through It
"As a lover of German wine, I beg you to intervene on behalf of the winegrowers of the Mosel and put a stop to the construction in Rheinland-Pfalz of the Mosel High Bridge. This bridge will compromise some of the finest vineyard land in Europe. By allowing this construction to continue, you do a disservice to your nation and to the generations that will follow us." |
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wineanorak
Sept. 14, 2009 |
A tragedy unfolds in Germany's Mosel region |
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Decanter
Sept. 14, 2009 |
Johnson decries 'desecration' of Mosel
By Rebecca Gibb |
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Meininger's Wine Business International
Sept. 14, 2009 |
Mosel bridge opponents launch 'Last Chance' protest
Hugh Johnson told the protestors, "This is a highway on stilts. The politicians collect your taxes and they are spending it on roads so that Belgians can drive through this amazing valley at 100 miles an hour." by Rebecca Gibb in the Mosel |
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Rebecca Gibb
Sept. 13, 2009 |
A great Folly and Desecration
The politicians have completely overlooked the reputation of the Mosel for a piece of tarmac. By Rebecca Gibb |
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Hugh Johnson
Sept. 11, 2009 |
... Speech by Hugh Johnson in Ürziger Würzgarten
The Mosel High Bridge is more than a folly. It is a crime. The example of Dresden is too obvious to miss. UNESCO has cancelled its World Heritage status because its government built a bridge too far. Look at the land before you. Now picture it with the crushing banality of a road on concrete stilts. ... |
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Slate
Sept. 10, 2009 |
I'm Tasting Tar, Traffic Cones, Motor Oil ...
A planned bridge could ruin Germany's cherished Mosel wine region. By Mike Steinberger |
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Danish Newspaper "Borsen"
Aug. 21, 2009 |
Tysklands dummeste motorvej?
Interview with Rudolf Trossen in the Danish Newspaper "Borsen". |
| Top Riesling winemakers speak out against vineyards threat May 25, 2009 |
Some of the foremost Riesling winemakers are appealing for help in a last-ditch attempt to alert German politicians to what they believe to be extreme foolishness: the destruction of a treasure of world cultural heritage. The following statements from Ernst Loosen, Markus Molitor, Katharina & Manfred Prüm, Johannes Schmitz, Willi Schaefer and Rudolf Trossen form a damning indictment of the B50 road project and those who persist in bulldozing it into existence. These respected wine producers are calling for a permanent cancellation of the High Mosel Bridge and vineyard-topping highway. This is what they have to say:
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| Open Letter to Apr. 24, 2009 |
Open Letter to |
| www.winespectator.com |
A shame to negate 2,000 years of history and culture "I have reviewed, on average, more than 250 wines each year from the Mosel Valley, for the past 11 years. The style of Riesling coming from these sites is unique in the wine world and can't be replicated anywhere else. It would be a shame to negate 2,000 years of history and culture for short-term political gain...." Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator |
| www.harpers.co.uk/news
May 13, 2009 |
Riesling wineries under threat Some of Germany's most famous Riesling wineries are under threat from government plans to construct a major traffic bridge in the Mosel Valley region, visitors to the London International Wine Fair are being told. ... |
| decanter.com
May 13, 2009 |
... Both Ernst Loosen, whose tireless efforts on behalf of Mosel wine are appreciated the world over, and his nearby colleagues deserve better from vulgar politicians who would risk turning their region and its crown-jewel vineyards in Zeltingen, Wehlen, Graach and Bernkastel into slag heaps. Howard G. Goldberg, New York City ... This motorway and bridge would be an act of barbarous desecration and historical, cultural and environmental vandalism - quite apart from the possible (and, of course, interminably debatable) adverse effects on the drainage and micro-geology of some of the oldest and finest vineyards in the world. ... Robert Devillier, Suffolk, UK It is very hard to believe that some Germans are going to ruin their best vineyards for the purpose of a motorway, which can be placed elsewhere. I am feeling a deep sadness and despair. ... This is one of the most magic vine spots on the entire planet and the sole reason I developed an interest in German vines and vine culture ... Saying yes to the bridge in this location is the same as proving for all eternity that Germany is no longer a nation of culture. Alexander Dey, Norway Let's try to prevent a Johnny-Come-Lately, tenth-rate, utterly superfluous, monster bridge from spoiling first-class, centuries-old vineyards and their idyllic setting, which are the only "bridges" (to the past and the future) this section of the Mosel needs. Dr Gregory Sims, Berlin |
| Jancis Robinson
May 11, 2009 |
... The bridge itself is bad, but the new road (B50neu) connected to it on the right bank of the Mosel is worse, since it will have a considerable influence upon the flow of water in and over the hillsides which are the top sites of Zeltingen, Wehlen, Graach and Bernkastel. I'm not the only one to have written about this, but the politicians are ignoring all criticism, simply not replying... |
