Must

Must is the fresh juice pressed from grapes, the sweet and fragrant drink that in Moldova marks the arrival of autumn and the start of the grape harvest. Cloudy, golden or reddish depending on the grape variety, must is the first form the vineyard's crop takes before it turns into wine, and is savoured at this stage for its unmistakable sweetness and freshness.

How it is made

Must is obtained immediately after the harvest, by crushing and pressing ripe grapes. In traditional households the grapes are crushed with a crusher or pressed in wooden presses, and the resulting juice is strained free of skins and pips. Fresh must is very sweet, full of natural sugars, and is drunk as it is in the first few days, while fermentation has not yet begun.

Left at room temperature, must begins to ferment naturally, through the action of the wild yeasts on the grape skins, with nothing added. In this intermediate phase, when it has started to work but has not yet turned into wine, the drink becomes slightly acidic, sparkling and mildly alcoholic, and is known in this state as must tulburel, or simply tulburel. Many prefer it precisely at this stage, for its lively, prickling taste. As fermentation advances, the sugar gradually turns into alcohol and the must becomes young wine.

When it is drunk and its cultural role

Must is the drink of autumn, closely tied to the harvest season, one of the most important periods of the year in Moldova, a country with a long winegrowing tradition. During the vintage, fresh must is drunk right in the vineyard or in the cellars, accompanying the hard work of picking with a note of sweetness and good cheer.

Must is often paired with pastrami, with fresh walnuts and with autumn dishes, and is a fixture at meals in this period. For children it remains a particular joy, being the sweet, non-alcoholic drink of the harvest, savoured eagerly. It also carries a symbolic value, marking the close bond between the Moldovans and viticulture, between people and the fruit of the vine. To drink must together, in the days of the harvest, is an occasion for celebration and communion, a tradition that celebrates the richness of the land and the hope of a good wine next year.