Wine bars are what Cochem does best. The town is in the middle of the Mosel Riesling belt and almost every other building in the old town has a cellar or a terrace where local growers pour their wines by the glass. The Riesling here is dry and mineral with high acidity — quite different from the sweeter Mosel style that was fashionable decades ago and still exported in quantity.
Look for the smaller weinstuben on the side streets off the Marktplatz, particularly Zom Stuffje and the Moselweinhaus, which operates out of an actual cellar and has an excellent selection of wines from small local producers. The Schlossberg Keller combines wine tasting with simple food and good views of the upper town.