Harvest Market of the Mosel Vineyard Peach

The Red Mosel Vineyard Peach is not only a culinary but also a cultural specialty of the Mosel region. The fruit ripens between early and mid-September; the harvest is labor-intensive because the trees in the steep vineyards are hardly accessible by machine. The fruits themselves are small, their skin is fuzzy, the flesh is a bright dark red, and the taste is intensely aromatic with a pleasant acidity. This profile leads to two uses: as fresh fruit for direct consumption or for home processing, and as a raw material for a whole range of regional products.

The Harvest Market in Cochem caters to both. On the one hand, the region's peach farmers and vintners sell fresh fruit directly from the harvest. Those who want to make their own jams or brandies will find the raw material here in a quality not available in regular trade. On the other hand, regional producers present their processed products: peach wines, peach liqueurs, pralines with peach jelly centers, jams in several variations with or without other fruits, syrups for cocktails, brandies as aperitifs or digestifs. A local brewer's Mosel Vineyard Peach Beer is also usually available.

The market takes place in the town center of Cochem and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some exhibitors offer tastings, allowing even first-time visitors to get an overview of the taste world of peach products. Those who combine the Harvest Market with an extended weekend in Cochem can ideally complement it with a hike through the vineyards, along the edges of which the peach trees can be found. The market is the autumnal counterpart to the Blossom Market in April, thus completing the annual cycle of the peach tradition.