AG Pro-Mosel

International Press about the High Mosel Bridge

The Riesling Revolutionary September 1 2011	The Monster of the Mosel ... a tale of sadness and woe, of lobbying and special interests, of political turncoats and misplaced trust. It is the story of how the monstrosity that is the Hochmoselübergang was given the green light. ... I have no idea what Pro-Mosel and their allies may have up their sleeves, but whatever it may be, they can be sure to have the support of the Revolution! by ALEX DOWN
The Telegraph August 5 2011	Rieslings from the Mosel valley ... Quite a lot of Mosel winegrowers and residents (not just English wine writers) are strongly opposed to the Hochmoselübergang, which sadly seems destined to go ahead. Present and correct were Manfred Prüm and his daughter Bettina, Ernie Loosen and Rudi Trossen, all of whom have campaigned against it vigorously - but you can't help feeling that Germans in general do not value their 1,700-year-old wine heritage. ... By Harry Eyres
Wine Spectator June 13 2011	Mosel Bridge Divides Winemakers are fighting construction that could damage some of the world's most famous Riesling vineyards by Ben O'Donnell
THE INDEPENDENT June 8 2011	The Mosel: A green day in a very pleasant land The no-frills route to Frankfurt is also a gateway to the Mosel river, says Andrew Eames. But this 'dreamier version of the Rhine' is under threat, so enjoy this treasure while you still can by Andrew Eames
internetgourmet.it June 6 2011	Fate che quel ponte sia famoso perché non è stato fatto
The Telegraph June 4 2011	Wine growers warn of death of Mosel Valley Wine growers in Germany have warned of the death of the Mosel Valley after the local government approved plans to span the historic valley with a mammoth four-lane bridge. By Matthew Day
bridgeweb.com May 4 2011	Politicians agree to build High Mosel Bridge ... Opponents fear a negative ecological impact on the wine region. A group has come together as Pro-Mosel said that the project would damage the landscape and have a severe impact on the vineyards and villages. ...
decanter.com May 3 2011	Opponents distraught as Greens approve Mosel bridge project by Adam Lechmere
foodista.com May 3 2011	Fight Against Mosel Bridge Lost ... Not only is the bridge and motorway sure to detract from the beauty of the region, it could also damage wine production. The Mosel is known for producing some of the best Riesling wines in the world. Many wine professionals, including renowned critics, spoke out against the bridge for fear that it will cause irreparable damage to the environment and risk the precious grapes. ... by Sarah Chappell
The Local Mai 3, 2011	Mosel Valley bridge to be built in wine country Opponents of a giant bridge to be built through Germany's historic wine country, prized for its world-class Rieslings, mourned on Tuesday their defeat in a years-long battle to stop the project. AFP
YAHOO News May 3 2011	Outrage over motorway for German wine country ... Pro-Mosel, a group of vintners, businesspeople and residents of southwestern Germany's scenic Mosel Valley, said they were shocked by the outcome of state coalition talks late Monday that gave the green light to the bridge. ...
JancisRobinson.com May 3 2011	Mosel bridge latest - Greens wilt ... Ultimately, the reason the Green negotiators did not listen to the intense pressure from the rest of Germany and the world was because they think it is better to rule than to stand on principle. In a federal system, each state can afford to ignore the outside world. ... by Sarah Washington
THE SUNDAY TIMES May 1 2011	Greens may block 'ruin' of Mosel wine A POWER shift in a German state may sound the death knell for a controversial project to build a bridge in the mosel valley that British wine critics have warned will damage some of the world's most celebrated vineyards. ... Matthew Campbell
THE INDEPENDENT April 25 2011	Moment of truth for Germany's lush wine country ... "My customers tell me if you don't fight to protect this pristine environment, it must be worth nothing to you and your product must not be worth anything either," the 57-year-old says, surveying a long, deep gash in the soil above his fields that is to become a four-lane autobahn. ...
iafrica.com April 21 2011	Heavenly Mosel threatened ... He says disrupting the natural irrigation system, just one of the valley's blessings, with this "concrete monster" could have dire consequences for fields that have been producing wine since Roman times. ...
FRANCE 24 April 21 2011	Moment of truth for Germany's lush wine country Germany's Rieslings have won ardent fans around the world in the last decade and exports have soared. Hugh Johnson, the British expert behind the annual Pocket Wine Books, has thrown his weight behind the protests. "It is shocking to watch how German politicians are selling out and destroying one of their finest cultural assets," he wrote in a guest column for a German newspaper. AFP
Bloomberg April 6 2011	Mosel Bridge Opposed by Riesling Makers Is Put on Hold as Greens, SPD Talk Construction on a bridge over the Mosel Valley will be put on hold after the Green Party made gains in a regional vote, raising hopes among winemakers and campaigners that the project will be scrapped completely. By Catherine Hickley
decanter.com March 29 2011	Victory of German Greens offers hope to Mosel bridge opponents By Adam Lechmere
jancisrobinson.com March 28 2011	Encouraging Mosel bridge news By Jancis Robinson
spiegel.de March 24 2011	Winemakers Flex Muscles Before Upcoming State Election By Ralf Beste
lawpundit.blogspot.com March 7 2011	Winemakers Unite to Oppose the Building of an Ugly and Unnecessary Bridge over the Moselle River in Germany's Famed Mosel Wine Region. But is it TOO LATE? ... the Middle Mosel attracts more tourists than any region in Germany except the island of RÃ¼gen, while Mosel wines enjoy world-wide favor in a competitive market. But now both industries are seriously threatened by one of the most detested building projects ever to be carried out on German soil. ... By Andis Kaulins
Chicago Tribune January 25 2011	In Germany and Austria, changes are afoot ... In Germany's peaceful Mosel Valley, plans are under way to construct a milelong, 500-foot-high expressway bridge (called Hochmoselbrucke) near the town of Urzig, just upstream from Cochem and Beilstein. The $367 million project likely will mar the pristine scenery, and local winemakers - and wine-lovers worldwide - worry that the construction and heavy use of the bridge will damage the delicate ecosystem that produces some of Germany's most beloved grapes. ... by Rick Steves
Decanter.com December 7 2010	Mosel Bridge financially unviable, opponents claim A new financial evaluation of the controversial Mosel Bridge proves the project is not worth completing, say opponents of the bridge. By Maggie Rosen
BBC NEWS June 28 2010	Rescuing the Riesling They call it "a bridge too far". By Oana Lungescu
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
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
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
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
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
BEELD 26. Mai 2010	Wijnopstand tegen MOEZELBRUG
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
The New York Times May 11, 2010	Before a Bridge Slices Through Vineyards, It Divides German Winemakers ÜRZIG, Germany... Opposition has snowballed in recent months, with British wine writers like Hugh Johnson and Stuart Pigott attacking the idea. ... John Tagliabue
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
internetgourmet.it May 8, 2010	Una firma per bloccare il ponte che distruggerà i vigneti della Mosella Angelo Peretti
DW-WORLD.DE DEUTSCHE WELLE April 17, 2010	Germany's Riesling vineyards threatened by controversial bridge Matt Zuvela
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.
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
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
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 KÃƒÅ’nast 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
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
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
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
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
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!
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
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, letÃƒÂ¢'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
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
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
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.
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
antib50.meinweinblog.com Chinese Site Nov. 08, 2009	æ”¯æŒåå°èˆˆå»ºå¾·åœ‹Moselä¸æ¸¸B50å…¬è·¯ åå°èˆˆå»ºå¾·åœ‹Moselä¸æ¸¸B50å…¬è·¯ç›®å‰å·³åˆ°é”ç™¾ç†±åŒ–éšŽæ®µï¼Œå·¥ç¨‹åŒ…æ‹¬èˆˆå»ºä¸€çµ›è¡Œè»Šéš§é“ç”±è¥¿é¢çš„Wittlichå¸‚ï¼Œç©¿éŽÃœrzigçš„å±±ä¸˜ï¼Œé€£æŽ¥ä¸€çµ›é«˜160ç±³è·¨éŽMoselæ²³çš„å››ç·šè¡Œè»Šå¤©æ©‹ï¼Œå†é€£æŽ¥ä¸€æ¢å‘æ±çš„å…¬è·¯ã€‚ ç‚ºä»€éº½è¦åå°èˆˆå»º ? åŽŸå›&xnbsp;æ•´é&xnbsp;…å·¥ç¨‹è·¨éŽåŠé€”ç¶“å¹¾å€‹Moselç”¢é…’å€æœ€å„ªè³ªè‘¡è„ç”°åœ°ï¼ŒåŒ…æ‹¬Zeltingen-Rachtigã€Wehlenã€Graach åŠBernkastel ç‰ç‰ï¼Œå¹¾å€‹æˆ‘å€‘ç†Ÿè˜çš„å¾·åœ‹çŸ¥åé…’èŽŠä¾‹å¦‚ J. J. PrÃ¼m åŠ Dr. Loosen ç´›ç´›æ“æœ‰"Grosse Lagen" (Grand Cru)ç´šè‘¡è„åœ’åœ¨é€™ä¸€å¸¶ç”°åœ°ã€‚ Ho Kei Yip
Moezel-riesling, er is geen betereÃ¢Â€Å&xnbsp; Nov. 05, 2009	'Waanzinnige' inbreuk
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 dovràÃ‚Â&xnbsp; emergere da una galleria proprio di fianco al famoso vigneto Ürziger Würzgarten... Fernando Araújo-Coelho
Revista de Vinhos Sept. 30, 2009	Assunto da Mensagem: Mosela em risco com o projecto "B50 neu" Aprecio muito os Riesling alemães e, háÃ‚Â¡ dois anos, dediquei vários dias áÃ‚Â&xnbsp;Mosela. ... 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. ...
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
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
wine.co.za Sept. 16, 2009	International wine authors and top Mosel winemakers agree: Mosel bridge a disgrace to wine and culture
drloosen.com Sept. 16, 2009	Stop the Bridge Update By Dr Ernst Loosen
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."
wineanorak Sept. 14, 2009	A tragedy unfolds in Germany's Mosel region
Decanter Sept. 14, 2009	Johnson decries 'desecration' of Mosel By Rebecca Gibb
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
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
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. ...
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
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:
Open Letter to Angela Merkel Apr. 24, 2009	Open Letter to Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
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...