KMW

Acronym for Klosterneuburger Mostwage. In Austria, the KMW scale is used to measure sugar in grapes and, hence, their ripeness. In Germany, sugar is measured in OECHSLE; in France, in BAUMÉ; and in the United States, in BRIX.

Long before the French appellation system was established, the monks of Burgundy had already begun to characterize the region’s vineyards and the quality of wines that came from them. Which of the following were the three categories used by the monks to differentiate wines?

A. Wines for farmers, wines for monks, wines for kings

B. Wines for villagers, wines for farmers, wines for monks

C. Wines for monks, wines for cardinals, wines for popes

D. Wines for monks, wines for popes, wines for kings

The wines from the lower part of the slope, which suffered the most rain, were known as cuvées des moines or “wines for the monks.” Wines from the top of the slope had the least rain, but there, the sun did not have ideal solar panel–like focus. These were called cuvées des cardinals or “wines for the cardinals.” And last, wines from the preferred middle belt of the slope, which had perfect sun orientation and the right degree of rain runoff, were called cuvées des papes or “wines for the popes.”

Bushvine

A bushvine is a vine that is free-standing with no trellis system. In other words, it looks like a bush. Bushvines are also known as “head-pruned” vines and “goblet-trained” vines. Many of the world’s oldest… Continue reading

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