Updated November 2026 with current product information.
Grape must is the grape material you ferment into wine. In our red-wine listings, that means crushed grapes with their juice, skins, and seeds. Pressed grape juice has already been separated from most of those solids. That difference determines the equipment you need, the work during fermentation, and how much finished wine you can expect.
If you are shopping for your first batch, focus on what is actually in the pail—not just the grape name on the label.
Does “must” always include skins?
Not in every technical use of the word. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine defines grape must as the liquid obtained from fresh grapes by processes including crushing, draining, or pressing. Winemakers also commonly use “must” for the crushed grape mixture before and during fermentation.
For buying purposes, the product description settles the question. Our red must includes skins and seeds. A product sold as white grape juice is pressed juice. White must and white juice are not interchangeable descriptions: check the format before ordering.
Whole wine grapes: the processing starts with you
Fresh whole grapes let you begin with the fruit itself. Depending on the wine you plan to make, you will need to sort, destem, crush, and eventually press it. You also need to coordinate harvest availability with equipment and time to work.
Frozen crushed must moves you past some of that initial handling. It still leaves the fermentation and finishing decisions with you; it is not finished wine waiting to be bottled.
Red grape must: juice plus the skins
Skins make red-wine fermentation a more hands-on project. As fermentation produces carbon dioxide, the skins rise into a cap. Your fermentation vessel needs room for that expansion and access for cap management. Later, you separate the wine from the skins and seeds by draining and pressing.
Plan for a suitable press or a practical pressing arrangement before buying. A five-gallon quantity of must also does not produce five gallons of bottled wine: solids and cellar losses reduce the final volume. Our yield and fermenter guide helps you choose both the active fermenter and the smaller vessels needed after fermentation.
Pressed grape juice: no grape-skin cap
Pressed juice is a useful starting point when you want to make white wine without handling a batch of grape skins. You still need fermentation space, clean equipment, measurements, and a plan for racking and storage. Juice can foam even though it does not form a red-grape cap.
It also produces sediment. Buying pressed juice simplifies fruit handling; it does not eliminate the steps between fermentation and a stable, finished wine.
Grape concentrate: water has been removed
Concentrated grape must is made by removing part of the water. It is a different format from a pail of frozen must or unconcentrated juice. Follow the product's directions for dilution and batch size; do not assume every grape base needs water added.
Complete wine kits may use juice, concentrate, or a combination, sometimes with a separate skin pack. The right comparison is the contents and intended process of the particular kit. Our wine kits versus frozen must guide explains those choices.
Frozen does not mean concentrated—or sterile
Freezing and concentrating are different processes. A frozen pail should be fully thawed and thoroughly mixed before you take a representative sample or follow the lot's winemaking instructions. Do not judge the whole batch from the first liquid that melts.
Continue to use sound sanitation and fermentation practices. Freezing is not a substitute for them, and a pail of raw fruit is not a shelf-stable beverage.
What to check before you choose
Format: whole grapes, crushed must, pressed juice, or concentrate?
Contents: actual fill volume, grape variety, vineyard or region, and vintage.
Equipment: enough fermentation space, pressing arrangements if needed, and storage vessels sized for the expected yield.
Additions: what is included, and what must be bought separately?
Timing: delivery, thawing, and a schedule that lets you manage the batch.
Browse our frozen wine grapes and juice, then use the winemaking guides for your chosen fruit. If the format or batch size is unclear, ask us before ordering—a well-matched pail and equipment setup make the next steps much easier.