Tulburel, Moldovan young wine

What tulburel is

Tulburel forms when yeast turns the sugar in grape must into alcohol and carbon dioxide. That gives the fine bubbles and the saying that the wine is “boiling”, and the cloudiness comes from the yeast and fine grape particles that have not settled yet. ^[4] The name says the same: “tulburel” comes from the Romanian “tulbure”, cloudy. ^[1]

Moldova’s 2006 law on vines and wine defined tulburel as a wine still finishing its alcoholic fermentation, not separated from its yeast and drunk in the year of the harvest. ^[2] Today’s rules call it “new wine still in fermentation (tulburel)”. ^[3] Under the same law, “young wine” (vin tânăr) is something else: a finished wine bottled and sold in the harvest year. In everyday speech, though, tulburel is also called must, new wine or young wine, and in Russian тулбурел, муст or молодое вино. ^{[9, 12]}

Facts about tulburel

1. The word “tulburel” is “tulbure” (cloudy) plus the diminutive suffix “-el”; the dictionary defines it as new wine that has not yet cleared. ^[1]
2. Tulburel forms when yeast turns the sugar in grape must into alcohol and carbon dioxide, which gives it bubbles and foam. ^[4]
3. Tulburel is cloudy because the yeast and fine grape particles have not yet settled. ^[4]
4. As tulburel ferments, sugar falls and alcohol rises day by day; a Romanian guide gives 2–5% alcohol on days 3–6 and 6–9% on days 7–14. ^{[5, 4]}
5. Published figures for new wine still in fermentation run from about 4% to 11% alcohol. ^{[12, 13]}
6. Moldova’s Law no. 57 of 10 March 2006 on vines and wine defined “vin tulburel” as a wine still fermenting, not separated from its yeast and released in the harvest year, separate from “young wine”. ^[2]
7. Moldova’s wine-market regulation (Government Decision no. 356/2015) calls it “new wine still in fermentation (tulburel)” and requires its alcohol content on the label. ^[3]
8. Moldova’s National Wine Day is held on the first weekend of October; at its 25th edition, on 3–4 October 2026, the longest queues were at the tulburel stalls, where 1.5 litres cost 80–120 lei depending on the grape. ^{[7, 8]}
9. At National Wine Day, must and tulburel are usually bought in 1.5-litre plastic bottles. ^[9]
10. At the “Tulburel” young-wine festival at Moldexpo in 2018, tulburel was served with national dishes, grilled food and plăcinte. ^[11]
11. Tulburel keeps fermenting in the bottle and builds up pressure, so the bottle is never sealed airtight. ^{[6, 5]}
12. Cold slows the fermentation, which is why new wine is kept cold and drunk within a few days. ^{[16, 12]}
13. In Germany the same kind of drink is called Federweißer and is sold from early September to the end of October. ^{[14, 15]}
14. In Austria, Sturm may be sold from 1 August to 31 December, and in Czechia, burčák from 1 August to 30 November, from local grapes only. ^{[17, 18]}
15. Beaujolais Nouveau, released on the third Thursday of November, and vino novello, released on 30 October, are finished wines, not wine still fermenting like tulburel. ^{[22, 21]}

Tulburel and young wines of other countries

Tulburel has relatives all over Europe. Some are, like it, wine that is still fermenting; others are young but finished wines.

Other names for tulburel

The same kind of drink has a different name from one region to the next. Some names mean exactly tulburel; others are only related.

How to keep and serve it

• Keep the bottle in the fridge, standing upright: cold slows the fermentation. ^[16]
• Do not screw the cap on tight: tulburel can keep fermenting and build up pressure in the bottle. ^{[6, 5]}
• Drink it cold and fresh, within a few days. ^{[12, 16]}
• The taste changes from day to day: as it ferments, it becomes less sweet and stronger. ^[4]
• Sweet and easy to drink as it is, tulburel contains alcohol. If you drink, do not drive. ^{[4, 25]}

What to eat with tulburel

In Moldova, tulburel is drunk at the table with traditional food: at the “Tulburel” festival at Moldexpo it was served with grilled dishes and plăcinte, ^[11] and at National Wine Day the stalls next to the tulburel sell skewers, mititei and plăcinte. ^{[10, 9]} In Germany, Federweißer goes with onion tart (Zwiebelkuchen) or roasted chestnuts; ^[14] chestnuts are served with new wine in France too. ^[24]

Tulburel season

Tulburel exists only in the year of the harvest: in Moldova it appears in autumn, with the grape harvest, and the season peaks at National Wine Day on the first weekend of October. ^{[2, 7]} Fermentation goes on, so within a few weeks today’s tulburel becomes young wine. ^[5] That is why we sell it only while this autumn’s stock lasts.