Riesling Lessons of the Mosel Masters

German wines, particularly great German Rieslings, are unlike any other wines in the world, with unmatched fruit intensity, striking minerality and remarkable aging potential. Once you’re hooked, you’re hooked, and soon the urge to make your own becomes a fixation. Here are some simple steps to get you there: Find a 500-year old cellar, preferably one with walls covered by a thick layer of beneficial mold and bins already full of musty bottles of pre-WWII vintages. Ideally, this cellar would be underneath a fairy-tale castle, perched along a scenic river, surrounded by vineyards with a 50-degree slope and a warm, southern exposure. From there, it’s a snap. If that’s not an option for you, find some healthy, low-cropped grapes from as cool a climate as you can and do as little as possible to them in your own cellar (which probably won’t have that lovely old mold). It won’t be wine from the Mosel, but it can still be wunderbar. Tradition and Innovation    Since only a small amount of German wine makes its way to North America, it’s difficult to