Erden on the Middle Moselle
Erden is a traditional wine village on the Moselle and forms part of the administrative district of Bernkastel-Kues. Winegrowing remains an important source of income for the residents.
Steep vineyard slopes
The Erdener Treppchen lies opposite the village on steep slate slopes. The south-west-facing site extends from about 110 to 260 metres above sea level and has a gradient of 50 to 80 percent. Its soils consist of weathered red clay slate with a high proportion of rock, as well as blue slate. Riesling is grown there on individual poles; in addition, vineyard walls store heat.
The Prälat faces south, lies at about 110 to 220 metres above sea level and has a gradient of roughly 210 percent. Iron-rich red slate with clay shapes the ground. The sheltered position on a bend of the Moselle, its southern exposure and heat-storing rock favour a warm microclimate. Treppchen and Prälat are classified as VDP.GROSSE LAGE with Riesling.
Traces of history
Above Erden, on the hill of the castle, there is an Iron Age ring wall, which is linked to the Celtic Treveri. Archaeological finds also provide evidence of Roman winegrowing. In the Erdener Treppchen, a wine press from the second century was discovered in 1998, which is regarded as the oldest known Roman wine press north of the Alps.
Historical development
For centuries, Erden was part of the historical Kröver Reich. A chapel of its own is documented for the village for the first time in 1252.
