Dr Loosen and A Bridge Too Far: watch out for the neck hanger

Well the neck hanger is not as grim as it sounds, but the reason for having it is.  Leading Mosel producer Dr Loosen wines will shortly be sporting a new eye catching neck hanger to highlight the ongoing campaign to halt a proposed road bridge spanning some 1.7km, set to tear through one of the most scenic and high profile vineyard areas on the Mosel and directly across the famous Urziger Würzgarten vineyard.  

Ernst Loosen, whose family have been making wine in the Mosel for over 200 years, is extremely concerned about the impact of the bridge on the vineyards and fearful of its implications for the area: “The water supply for our vineyards comes from the forest on the edge of the hills; building work for the four lane motorway will mean that we will be cut off from the water supply.  The skyline of the bridge will be higher than the mountains,” he complained,” and we’re very worried about tourism, because people come here for the beauty and not to look at such an ugly construction.”

I visited the Mosel and Loosen in 2008 and this project, if allowed to proceed, is an absolute travesty for the region and its wines.  Here are some words from the campaign’s leader Nigel Blundell, of Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies, who has represented Dr Loosen in the UK for over 25 years:

“After visiting the Mosel earlier this year and seeing what a terrible effect this monstrous bridge could have, not only on the ecology but also tourism in the area, I put forward the suggestion of neck hangers to Thomas and his older brother, Erni Loosen.  Famous journalists such as Hugh Johnson, Stuart Piggot and Jancis Robinson are all doing a wonderful job with their publicity but at least by putting these neck hangers on the bottles, we are bringing the issue directly to the consumers’ attention.  This is a beautiful and important stretch of vineyard land it should not be facing this kind of threat.  We have to stop that bridge.”

UK retailers agreeing to carry the neck hangers on Dr Loosen wines include:  Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, ASDA, E H Booth Oddbins, Majestic, Direct Wines Ltd (Sunday Times Wine Club) and Avery’s. The first shipments carrying the neck hangers are arriving in store now.  Neck hangers can also be found on some Dr Loosen wines imported into the USA. 

Please do visit the campaign’s website here to add your voice of dissent.