A step up from basic QbA: a single-varietal steep-slope Hochgewaechs Riesling from the co-op, with riper fruit and more slate grip at everyday prices.
Tip: Look for the Steillage and Hochgewaechs labels on co-op wine; they guarantee steep-slope fruit and higher must-weight at a friendly price.
The slate-coded estate Riesling from a biodynamic Marienburg grower: a dry, savoury wine capturing red-slate character at an organic estate's entry level.
Tip: Busch's coloured-slate trocken wines are the affordable way into a serious biodynamic Mosel estate before its single-parcel GGs.
The dry estate Riesling from a revived ancient Enkirch winery, named for the dynamite that built the terraces: fresh, dry and slatey from a serious address.
Tip: Detonation is the gateway bottling at Immich-Batterieberg; a brilliant introduction to dry old-vine Enkirch slate Riesling.
The estate-level dry Riesling from the monopole Gruenhaus slope in the Ruwer: cool, precise, herb-and-citrus Riesling from a historic German vineyard.
Tip: The Monopol trocken is the value entry to a centuries-old monopole estate; it shows the Ruwer's cool elegance without the GG price tag.
A dry estate Riesling from a Demeter-certified Reil grower on steep Mullay-Hofberg slate: pure, low-intervention, savoury Riesling at an affordable price.
Tip: Melsheimer's entry trocken is a great-value taste of certified biodynamic Mosel before stepping up to the single-site bottlings.
The estate-blend dry Riesling of the terraced lower Mosel: powerful, mineral and fully dry from the Winningen slate terraces, an affordable Terrassenmosel face.
Tip: Schieferterrassen is the gateway to Heymann-Loewenstein's dry style; at the top of the budget band but a genuine fine-wine bargain.
The benchmark entry Mosel Riesling: bright peach and citrus, low alcohol near 8.5 percent and a touch of sweetness balanced by slatey acidity.
Tip: At under ten euros it is the textbook introduction to off-dry Mosel Riesling; serve cold as an aperitif or with spicy Asian food.