On the old Roman calendar, there were three feasts linked with vineyards and wine: the Vinalia Rustica or Altera (August 19), when the vintage began; the Meditrinalia (October 11), when the first libation of "must" was poured; the Vinalia Urbana or Priora (April 23), when the jars were opened and the new wine was tasted. Both the Vinalia Rustica and the Vinalia Urbana were connected to rituals to protect the vineyards. These feasts also dealt with the status transition of the young, whose maturation was symbolically compared to the transformation of the "must" into wine.