Harvest on the limestone terraces: season results at Podillia Terraces
Winemaker Svitlana Terpka sums up the harvest gathered on the terraced limestone slopes of Podillia.
The grape harvest has finished at Podillia Terraces — one of the most important moments of the year for any winery. This year's season in the Ternopil region proved restrained and cool, giving the berries a slow ripening and preserved natural acidity. Winemaker Svitlana Terpka considers precisely such conditions ideal for the estate's mineral whites and classic sparkling wines. "Limestone beneath our feet and a temperate climate — that is our strength. The grapes arrive at the winery fresh, with a lean acidity that needs no correction," she notes. Picking on the terraced slopes is done by hand: the steep plots rule out mechanisation, so every cluster is inspected and cut individually. This year the team gathered the crop in several passes to catch the optimal ripeness of different varieties — from aromatic Muscat to taut Riesling. Part of the fruit went straight into co-ferment, part into orange and natural cuvées. According to the winemaker, the vintage's potential is very good, and within a few months the first young wines will tell the story of this restrained yet generous season.
