🏷️ Klosterneuburger Mostwaage
The Austrian scale for the sweetness of grape juice.
KMW is the Klosterneuburger Mostwaage, or Klosterneuburg must scale. It is used in Austria to measure the sweetness of grape juice before fermentation. The name comes from the town of Klosterneuburg near Vienna, home to a well-known wine institute.
One degree KMW is roughly equal to 1% sugar in the juice. The higher the number, the sweeter the juice and the stronger or sweeter the wine will be. It is measured with a special instrument, a hydrometer, which floats in the juice: the denser the juice, the higher it floats.
In Austria these degrees are used to define wine classes. The law sets a minimum value for each quality level. Higher values are reached by wines from late-picked grapes and by dessert wines.
Other countries use other scales: Oechsle degrees in Switzerland and Germany, Brix in the United States. They mean much the same, but the numbers differ. KMW belongs to wine classification systems and to Austrian wine. If you see “KMW” in an Austrian text, it refers to the sweetness of the juice.
How it connects to Wine
🏷️ Klosterneuburger Mostwaage → kind of → 🏷️ Wine classifications → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🏷️ Wine classifications
- Where it applies
- 🗺️ Austrian wine
- Similar and different
- 🏷️ Oechsle scale
Frequently asked questions
What is KMW?
An Austrian scale of grape juice sweetness: 1 degree is roughly 1% sugar.
How is KMW measured?
With a hydrometer that floats in the juice: the more sugar, the higher it floats.
How is KMW different from Oechsle degrees?
They are different scales for the same measure. The numbers differ, but the meaning is the same: sweetness of the juice.
Similar
🏷️ Vinea Wachau categories · 🏷️ American Viticultural Area · 🏷️ Vintners Quality Alliance · 🏷️ Wine of Origin · 🏷️ Geographical indication (Australia) · 🏷️ Cava (Greece)
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.