The wines of Te Wā

Te Wā is a young Moldovan wine brand that has attracted international attention in a short time. The name is Maori and means "time will tell", a reference to the winemaker's experience in New Zealand. Te Wā has no vineyards of its own but works with small growers in different parts of Moldova. It makes wines in limited quantities, with as little intervention as possible in the cellar, from both indigenous and international grape varieties.

Te Wā grew out of the creativity of two women who wanted to make the best wines the Moldovan terroir can produce. They travelled from the Napa Valley in California to New Zealand in search of the best wine experiences, and dreamed of making world-class wine themselves. They made that dream come true in Moldova.

A key role is played by winemaker Vadim Mihailov, who is one of the founders together with his partner. He worked two harvests in New Zealand, in 2014 and 2015. Back in Moldova, he started Te Wā in 2019. According to Mihailov, Moldova's strength lies in the diversity of its terroir and its rich wine history, combined with a willingness to experiment.

Te Wā works with small growers in three of Moldova's four wine regions. In the south lies Valul lui Traian, with soils of clay and sand, and marine sediments from a distant geological past. In the south-east lies Ștefan Vodă, known for its powerful, full-bodied red wines, with mainly loam and clay soils. And in the centre of Moldova lies Codru, with plenty of black earth. Te Wā likes to work with grapes from old-vine vineyards there. To safeguard quality, Te Wā works closely with the growers from pruning to harvest. All grapes are picked by hand.

In the cellar Te Wā opts for as little intervention as possible. Commercial yeasts are hardly used. The wines are neither fined nor filtered, and few or no additives are used. As a result, according to the winery, every wine is different. Some of the red wines mature in Romanian oak from Transylvania.

The wines have received glowing reviews. Jamie Goode gave them 90 to 93 points, with the highest scores for the two versions of Fetească Neagră. He called the Chardonnay fresh and balanced, with a saline finish, and the red blend ripe but well balanced.

The label design is also special. Each label shows a photograph by the Moldovan photographer and designer Mihai Stamati, with rural landscapes that show the bond between Moldovans and their land. The labels depict the four seasons: winter stands for renewal, spring for rebirth, summer for pure joy and autumn for abundance.

If you want to know more about this winery, here you will find the link to the website of Te Wā.