September, wine month in Slovakia
Slovakia is a wine country. The vineyards are along the southern border with Hungary on the southern slopes of the Carpathian mountains. The grape-harvest is in September and directly after are the harvest feasts. Then you may find everywhere the very popular very first wine, called must (in Slovak: ‘burciak’), fermenting grape-juice containing about 6% alcohol. Must is excellent with heavy, typical meals of autumn, like goose or duck, as it neutralizes fat.
6% alcohol seems not te be a great lot, but the high fermentation – the activity of which makes the drink warm in a glass or makes bottles explode from its pressure – is quite treacherous, because also in the stomach it continues. First one becomes pleasantly drunken, until one suddenly encounters the man with the hammer.
Take the next day off and keep the curtains closed.
See also: Wine tasting in the water-mill from the 17th century near Bratislava.