Christmas 2023: Kerala's Munthiri Wine Is A Homemade Brew For That Festive Feel

With Christmas only a week away, it is that time when Christian households are bustling with people, where family members and relatives begin visiting each other to lend a hand in the preparation of the Christmas goodies. Along with the decorations that come out to be prepped to set up the tree or a crib, the soaked fruits and nuts for the cake are opened to start the making of popular Christmas fruit cake along with other goodies.

And the wine bharani, or long ceramic pots brewing the munthiri wine, are carefully inspected to get the brew right without taking a swig, as the Christian households in Kerala mostly keep a fast, observe lent, and abstain from alcohol, meat, and more before Christmas. It is only after the midnight mass at the church on Christmas Eve that people can eat the fruit cake and drink wine, kickstarting the celebrations in full fervour.

In Kerala, wine is made in this way using other fruits apart from grapes, like rose apples, cashew apples, beetroot, and more. The process is a traditional one that requires one to follow certain rules strictly to get the wine right. The use of organically grown grapes and ensuring that all the utensils used in the process are arranged clean and dry before starting are some of the critical points to remember while making munthiri wine.

"The Munthiri wine is made from fresh black grapes or from raisins. Although it is popularly served on Christmas, it is prepared way before the festival, as the wine requires 21 days to brew alone. You can technically use any fruit and my mom usually prepares the wine with plums, which was tasty. Growing up, the ceramic jar of wine would be stored away in a dark and cool place. As boys, we were given the responsibility or task of stirring the wine every alternative day for 21 days," says Dr.Chef. Avin Thaliath, co-founder and director of academics at Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts. 

While the utensils must be dry and clean, the seasonal organically grown red grapes must be washed and dried off moisture as well. Grapes and sugar are added to a large ceramic jar portion-by-portion, or alternatively, to fill it a little more than half way through. Yeast, or sprouted wheat kernels, are added to kickstart the fermentation process, which happens for a minimum of 21 days.

After that, the sweet wine is ready for consumption, if done right. At this stage, the wine will be sweet and contain fewer traces of alcohol. But when you let it brew further for over three months, it begins to develop complex flavours, and the sweetness reduces over time. While metal or plastic jars are not used for the fermentation process, tall ceramic or terracotta jars are a popular choice to brew this local wine.

In her blog, Oventales, Syama explains how most of the traditional recipes call for boiled water and wheat kernels or yeast as a starter. "In my experience, the organic grapes do not need any starter as the ambient yeast does a great job. To me, adding commercial yeast changes the microbial content and the final product has one flat flavour instead of the more complex, nuanced flavours each crop and season create," she says.

Sometimes, caramelised sugar was included instead of raw sugar to make the wine look deep red or maroon. All of this was done carefully during the holiday season. "My grandmother used to caramelise the sugar before adding it to the wine-making process, which would add a deep colour to the wine. When I was a kid, I once confused it with honey and ended up burning my fingers when I dipped my fingers to get a taste of it. Still, these are part of my sweet memories and the experiences are a big reason that inspired my culinary journey as a chef," says Avin.

While some recipes call for stirring the contents once in a few days or on alternative days, it might be unnecessary if the carbon dioxide gas emitted within can escape the jar that is covered and tied with muslin cloth. Otherwise, opening the jar once every few days to air it out might be necessary. Once the formation of air bubbles stops at the top, it means that the wine is ready for consumption.

Some people add spices like cinnamon or cloves to enhance the flavour or include egg whites to speed up the fermentation process. But a wait of 21 days is essential for the wine to be ready and the waiting period, although tedious, is worth the effort because the wine poured into the glass is simply delicious, especially when paired with the fruit cake that most people eagerly wait for year-on-year.

Naadan Munthiri Wine Recipe

Here is a recipe for munthiri wine made from red grapes for you to try:

Ingredients:

1. 1 kg of red or purple grapes
2. 1kg sugar
3. 1/2 cup of wheat kernels
4. 5-6 cloves
5. 3 small sticks of cinnamon
6. 3 small pieces of mace

Method:

1. Use a ceramic jar, preferably a bharani or a transparent glass jar with an airtight lid.
2. Wash the grapes with warm water, remove the stalks, and pat them dry.
3. Crush the grapes slightly with your hands to open the tips and place them in the cleaned jar with the spices. Layer them with sugar alternatively and repeat layering until 2/3 of the jar fills up.
4. Cover the jar with muslin cloth, close the lid not too tightly and leave the jar in a cool, dark place. Shake the jar without opening it every fifth day to mix the contents.
5. Open the lid on the 21st day, and you'll notice grape skins floating to the top with nothing inside.
6. Gently drain the liquid without shaking much and strain it in a cheesecloth without squeezing the contents.
7. Pour it into clean, dry bottles and leave undisturbed for another 20 days before you can decant and pour the clear wine into clean, dry bottles for preservation.