We’re in the the Tokayer region of Hungary, where workers harvest grapes from the vineyards. Today we’ll listen in as local growers begin the process of turning these grapes into the region’s specialty- Tokayer wine. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by the American Museum of Natural History.
People have been growing wine in Hungary for thousands of years. Traditionally, this was a white wine producing region, until settlers from the Balkans came to Hungary, bringing techniques of red wine production with them. Here in Tokayer, the wine of choice is called Aszu. It’s a sweet dessert wine which contains raisins as well as grapes.
ambience: hammering barrel, music
As musicians play Hungarian folk songs in the background, a craftsman hammers a wooden wine barrel into shape, binding it together with metal straps. There’s a small fire inside the barrel, contained by a metal bowl. It’s meant to soften the wood, and make it more pliable.
ambience: metal juice press
ambience: wooden juice press
Meanwhile, a wine press, controlled by a metal crank, squeezes the grapes, producing a stream of juice which the Hungarians call “moosht.” This is the juice that will be eventually be poured into barrels where it will ferment, age and await bottling. The fermentation process begins when the juice comes into contact with the wine yeasts found on the skins of the crushed ripe grapes.
Pulse of the Planet is presented by the American Museum of Natural History. Additional funding for this series has been provided by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.