The Planwagenfahrt tradition on the Mosel dates to the early 20th century when vineyard workers moved harvest equipment and barrel loads between terraced slopes on horse-drawn wagons. What began as agricultural necessity evolved into a leisure pursuit by the 1970s, as winemakers along the river valley opened their estates to visitors seeking an unhurried view of one of Germany's steepest wine regions. Gut Hermes, established in 1832 near Kröv, has run covered wagon tours since 1998, pairing the original wooden Planwagen design with modern seating and weather protection. The Mosel River carves a serpentine path through slate hillsides that rise at gradients exceeding 60 degrees in places, creating microclimates where Riesling vines root directly into fractured Devonian rock. These steep-slope vineyards, known as Steillagen, account for less than three percent of Germany's wine-growing area but produce some of its most mineral-driven whites. The wagon route at Gut Hermes climbs through family-owned parcels that have belonged to the estate for five generations, passing terraces where vines are still trained on individual wooden stakes rather than wire trellises. The journey offers unobstructed sightlines across the river bend toward the medieval town center of Traben-Trarbach and the forested ridges of the Hunsrück plateau. Gut Hermes farms 18 hectares under organic certification, focusing on single-vineyard Rieslings that express the slate soils of the Middle Mosel. The estate's tasting room occupies a converted 19th-century barn where original timber framing and stone walls remain intact. Wines served during the Planwagenfahrt Mosel mit Weinprobe include dry and off-dry Rieslings from the estate's Panorama vineyard, a south-facing parcel positioned 200 meters above the river. The wagon pauses at a designated viewing platform where guides explain the pruning and trellising techniques required to cultivate vines on slopes too steep for mechanized equipment. The covered wagon itself is a custom-built reproduction of the Hunsrück-style farm wagon, with benches arranged along both sides under a canvas canopy. A tractor provides traction on the steepest gradients, a concession to modern safety standards that replaced the draft horses originally used on these routes. The tour operates year-round on weekends, with departures timed to avoid the midday heat in summer and to catch afternoon light in autumn when vineyard foliage turns amber. Reservations are required, as each wagon seats a maximum of 20 passengers and the estate prioritizes small groups to preserve the intimacy of the tasting experience.