The German wine region of Mosel-Saar-Ruwer has officially changed its name to Mosel in a bid to become more consumer friendly.
The new name became official on 1 August and will apply to all wines starting with the 2007 vintage.
As reported on decanter.com last year, the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer growers' organisation won approval on 9 August 2006 for the name change to go ahead. It is now official.
The move follows several years of lobbying by the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer growers organisation – now Moselwein – who felt the longer name was too complicated and led consumers to believe the wine was a three-region blend.
Also with effect from 1 August, the designation Qualitatswein mit Pradikat has been simplified to Prädikatswein. The term designates the level of ripeness, of which there are six from Kabinett to Trockenbeerenauslese, based on the natural sugar level in the grapes at the time of harvest.
Have your say... To post your comment on this story, email us at news@decanter.com, making sure the relevant headline is in the subject field
The changes should simplify things for students of the subject - and therefore ultimately for consumers, but I feel sorry for the Saar producers who are effectively losing their unique identity.
John Lamond, Master of Malt, Clackmannanshire, Scotland
Register on decanter.com absolutely free for news alerts delivered direct to your email inbox, and our fortnightly newsletter with advance notice of what’s coming up in Decanter magazine, offers, competitions and more.
PLUS registration is a one-stop shop for the Decanter magazine Archive and Decanter Fine Wine Tracker.
The changes should simplify things for students of the subject - and therefore ultimately for consumers, but I feel sorry for the Saar producers who are effectively losing their unique identity.
