Location and Climate
Leiwen lies on the River Moselle between Trier and Bernkastel, on a pronounced meander of the river. The vineyards are situated in the sheltered Moselle valley, with comparatively mild winters, warm summers and a mean annual temperature of about 9.4 to 10 °C. The municipality belongs to the wine region Mosel.
Soils and Vineyards
The geological subsoil consists of under-Devonian Hunsrück slate, mainly clay slate and quartzite. Through weathering, loamy soils frequently form. The Laurentiuslay faces south-south-west, lies at around 130 to 180 metres above sea level and has slope inclinations of roughly 40 to 80 per cent. Grey Devonian slate has been documented there.
Areas and Grape Varieties
The 2024 vineyard register lists the Leiwener Klostergarten as a single vineyard with 225.7 hectares of vines under cultivation. Leiwener Laurentiuslay comprises 15.1 hectares. For Laurentiuslay as a VDP.GROSSE LAGE, Riesling is given as the classified grape variety. The wines of the protected designation of origin Mosel generally show a balance of sweetness and acidity, with a spectrum ranging from delicate to full-bodied and from pronounced to moderate acidity.
History and Wine Law
Archaeological evidence includes a Roman country estate, a villa rustica, at the site Im Bohnengarten. After the Second World War, Leiwen was the first municipality to carry out land consolidation of the vineyards; according to the local chronicle, it has shaped the viticultural landscape to this day. The municipality’s vineyards lie in the delimited area of the protected designation of origin Mosel and are also permitted to produce wine bearing the protected geographical indication Landwein der Mosel.
