The Terroir of Transcarpathia: Volcanic Soils and the Character of Leanka
The story of how the volcanic soils of the Transcarpathian slopes shape the singular character of Lozova Hora's autochthonous wines.
Transcarpathia is one of Ukraine's oldest winegrowing corners, where the vine has been cultivated for many centuries. The secret of its wines lies in the ground: the slopes near Uzhhorod and Berehove are built on mineral-rich volcanic soils. It is they that give Lozova Hora's wines the pronounced minerality and vivid structure that are hard to mistake for any other region.
The estate gives a special role to autochthonous varieties, above all Leanka, a local white grape with a long Carpathian history. "Leanka is our voice, our identity. It shows what only a Transcarpathian wine, and no other, can be," says Roman Lozovyi. The wines it yields are fresh, with a fine floral aroma and a saline, mineral note of volcanic origin.
A warm microclimate, cool mountain nights and poor stony soils force the vine to struggle, and it is that struggle that gives birth to concentration and character. For the Lozova Hora team, respect for terroir means minimal intervention: the winemaker's task is to let the land and the variety speak in their own voice. Learn more about the vineyards at www.lozova-hora.com.ua.
