Piesport

Gourmets have long had good reason to pamper themselves in Piesport — not least at the hands of Thomas Schanz and his restaurant with two Michelin stars.

Yet even ancient Romans were familiar with the indulging side of Porto Pigontio, as the winegrowing town was known millennia ago.

This starts with its breathtaking nature. “Mosella”, composed in 371 A.D. by Roman poet Ausonius, gushes about the picturesque “theatre of vines”. The cliff face of the Mosel Loreley rises 80 meters straight up from the river. But Roman winemakers in particular best understood how to make ideal use of the town's steep sites. But Roman winemakers in particular best understood how to make ideal use of the town's steep sites.

Visitors today can gain insight into their work thanks to the fortuitous discovery of an ancient Roman wine press, the largest north of the Alps, near the famous modern “Piesporter Goldtröpfchen” site. Dating back to the 4th century B.C., true to original and now restored to functionality, the press serves each year in October as the backdrop from the Roman pressing festival.

Wine workers costumed as pressing slaves crush grapes by foot, as was done in that time, to an enthusiastic crowd.