The origin story of Weingut Dr. Loosen would make an engrossing movie to rival wine classics such as Sideways and Bottle Shock.
In 1988, young Ernst Loosen left college and returned to the village of Bernkastel in the Mosel Valley at his dying father’s behest to take over the family’s winery business. Though the vineyards had been under cultivation for the past 200 years, no one had actually been paying much attention to the land and nor to the quality of the wine produced.
Over the next several decades, the fledgling winemaker transformed the Loosen estate into a world-renowned Riesling powerhouse.
According to a 2022 survey from IRI, Dr. L is the #1 Riesling in the $11-$15 category.
Some of the best Riesling in the world is grown in the Mosel Valley. Comprised of mostly slate soil and cooled by the river, the Loosen Mittelmosel vineyards receive both southern and northern exposure due to their steepness, which helps create a long growing season, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and retain the refreshing acidity for which the region’s Riesling is known.
The wines of this region are typically lower in alcohol than their American counterparts and exhibit mineral and fruity characteristics. Erni Loosen inherited two family winemaking traditions—dry from his father and sweet from his mother. Understanding the value of both, Loosen set about creating and promoting German Rieslings that would satisfy a variety of international palates.
Before he died, Loosen’s father had been exporting 100% of his Riesling to the U.S. in bulk. This, unfortunately, contributed to the perception that German Rieslings were cheap, sweet wines with no depth or backbone.
Loosen set out to change that fallacy—and he did. Not only is his family estate now known for its exceptional wines, but the reputation of the entire German Riesling market has been elevated due to his tireless education efforts.
The “Loosen Bros.” brand was created to introduce Riesling in both dry and off-dry styles to the Riesling-curious.
The Dr. L Riesling is a delicate, refreshing, and fruity white wine, fermented in stainless steel, and best served chilled. The Dr. L Riesling Dry is racy, elegant, and full of the mineral characteristics of the slate Mosel slopes. Both wines have low ABVs and are naturally produced with no additives, pesticides, or herbicides.
