The Moselle winegrowing area is situated between the 49th and 50tth latitude and therefore is at the northern edge of the climactic zone in which wine is still cultivable. The pronounced bends and turns in the course of the Moselle, protected by mountainous land in the north and east, and open to the south and southwest, with its many man-made terraces, combined with warmth-retaining, potassium-rich clay shale soil and the mild climate, made it possible for the largest, most northerly continuous white wine growing area in Europe to develop here. Wine cultivation on the steep slopes above the Moselle, Saar and Ruwer has a tradition that goes back thousands of years and thus counts among the oldest winegrowing landscapes. The Celts and particularly the Romans recognised that a temperate climate and especially the steep shale slopes were ideal for planting vineyards, and made it the definitive winegrowing area that it is. The wines growing on these slopes are unique with their character and diverse aromas. The nature and culture of the area as well as the tourism built upon them, are strongly influenced by the winegrowing on these slopes.

The steep vineyards are very time and labour intensive on account of the natural contours of the land; there are limits to what can be achieved using agricultural machinery. The high management costs and unwillingness of many consumers to pay even reasonable prices for top quality Riesling over the past decades has led to a drastic cut in wine production here and to the slow decline of vineyards on the Moselle, Saar und Ruwer.