The Niepoort family, originally from the Netherlands, has been creating Port Wines since 1842 and established themselves as one of the most respectable Port Houses.

Dirk Niepoort, fifth generation, runs the firm with a dedication and enthusiasm that has made him one of the most popular figures in the wine trade, and quickly became a trailblazer of table wines in Portugal with his projects focused on Terroir, elegance and the relentless pursuit of freshness. Dirk helped transform the Douro region and the way the world thinks about wine, with wines transcending the heat and displaying astounding craft and elegance.

His vision has striven to improve the company on all aspects: the vineyards were upgraded in sustainability (notably most are farmed organically, without any pesticides and herbicides) and the winery completely revamped. As for the grape crushing, Dirk is a passionate advocate of the traditional method of ‘treading’ (by foot) to extract maximum colour and flavour. These efforts resulted in magnificent examples from recent years.

Dirk Niepoort deserves the accolades he receives for his hard work, dedication and wonderful craft which propelled him to be one of the most reverred in Portugal and a world wine legend, elevating not only Port but Portugal’s dry wines.

Dirk’s passion for Mosel wines and its queen variety, Riesling, has long been known. As it couldn’t be otherwise, which sooner or later we thought would be inevitable, Dirk headed to the Mosel to make his wines. But he ended up not embarking on this adventure alone, joining his eldest son Daniel and Phillip Kettern, from the house of Lothar Kettern, who, incidentally, are fantastic wines that Niepoort imports. The company would later be called Fio Wines. The motto was set, and it didn’t take long for the wines of this collaboration to appear, Ratzelhaft, Falkenberg, Cabisehrnett and finally the top of the range FIO. As is Dirk’s prerogative, we find here very fine, expressive and delicate Rieslings, aged in German fuders

Grape – Riesling

Residual Sugar – 3.3 g/L

Alcohol – 12.3 %

Falkenberg is a Riesling that originates from a single vineyard with small plots of altitude in Mosel, Germany. The nose is discreet, without the typical Mosel exuberance which makes it serious and dry, light and precise. The stage of more than 12 months in 1000 liter foudres, combined with a primary fruit characteristic of the variety, gives it sophistication, freshness and elegance, with a brilliant structure and a very long finish. It is definitely a gastronomic wine with an excellent aging capacity.

James Suckling – 94 points (2017)

This concentrated, almost dry white is just beginning to spread its wings. At once ripe, deep and refined (think of a beautiful peach). I love the weightless feeling at the very long finish, although this is also juicy and crystalline. Made by a joint venture of Douro winemaker, Dirk Niepoort and Mosel vintner, Philipp Kettern. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate – 92 points (2017)

The 2017 Piesporter Falkenberg Mosel Riesling Trocken is crystalline, clear, pure and fresh on the deep, ascetic and slate-dominated nose with its crushed/dusty stone and yeasty-tinted white fruit notes. Round and lush on the textured palate, this is a just-ripe but elegant, balanced and refined dry Riesling with 11% alcohol. It has fine bones and delicately salty acidity that carries it to a pleasant, stimulatingly refreshing finish. The 2017 Falkenberg (from a stony slate terroir with a high portion of quartzite) is another excellent effort from the Niepoort and Kettern families. It is dense and even concentrated on the aftertaste. Very promising, but it’s a great drinking pleasure even today. Tasted in May 2019.

Dirk Niepoort started the Fio project with his son Daniel and his local friend Philipp Kettern in Piesport. Recently, his youngest son, Marco, became part of the team. This is a more-than-welcome new development for the Mosel wine scene. Readers can pick from an interesting range of wines that kiss the natural/orange wine scene and the more traditional Mosel wine that can be described here as light, pure, fresh and dry—or off-dry—and only sometimes a little lean and sour (the first release of “Socalcos”) or highly reductive (the “CabiSehrNett”).