moutwijn

Moutwijn is a Dutch term for wine made from grape must (the juice pressed from grapes before fermentation). The word indicates that the wine derives from the must, the initial juice of the grape, rather than from fully transformed products. The exact style of moutwijn can vary depending on how fermentation proceeds; typically, dry wines result when fermentation completes, while stopping fermentation early or leaving some residual sugar can yield sweeter, lower-alcohol examples.

Historically, moutwijn was produced in the Netherlands and nearby regions as an affordable everyday wine. In contemporary use, the term is mainly found in historical sources or in regional, artisanal contexts, and it is not a widely defined category in modern European wine classifications.

Production of moutwijn involves pressing grapes to extract the juice, thus obtaining the must, and then fermenting it with wine yeast. Temperature, duration of fermentation, and whether or not fermentation is arrested influence the final balance of acidity, aroma, sweetness, and alcohol.

In present-day labeling, moutwijn is usually described descriptively rather than as a regulated appellation; it may appear on bottles from small producers or in discussions of traditional or historical winemaking practices.