Must

/MUST/

Fresh grape juice before or during fermentation.

Full Definition

Must is the freshly pressed grape juice containing skins, seeds, and sometimes stems before or during fermentation. It includes everything that will become wine. Must weight measures sugar content. Once fermentation completes, must becomes wine. The term comes from Latin 'mustum' (new or fresh).

Related Terms

juice fermentation pomace

See Also

Mouthfeel Back to Glossary Musty

More terms starting with M

Maceration

Soaking grape skins in juice to extract color, tannin, and flavor.

Madeirized

Wine showing oxidation and heat damage, like Madeira.

Magnum

A 1.5-liter bottle, holding two standard bottles.

Malic Acid

A tart acid in grapes, converted to lactic acid during ML.

Malolactic Fermentation

Bacterial conversion of tart malic acid to softer lactic acid.

Master of Wine

The most prestigious wine qualification worldwide.