🍷 Cellar mould (Zasmidium cellare)

Cellar mould is a dark velvety mould that grows on the walls of old wine cellars. Its Latin name is Zasmidium cellare. It looks like a black fluffy coating, similar to cloth, and can hang from the ceiling in tufts.

The mould feeds on alcohol vapours rising from barrels and bottles. So it grows only where wine has been stored for a long time, in the damp, cool air of a cellar. For humans it is mostly harmless, and it serves as a sign that the cellar is old and the humidity is suitable.

The mould is most famous in the cellars of Tokaj in Hungary. There it covers the walls of deep tunnels cut into volcanic rock and is seen as part of the character of the place. Cellar mould is linked to Tokaj wine and to wine cellars in general. People try not to disturb it, because it helps maintain the microclimate. It can be seen on tours of historic cellars, but should not be touched.