Austrian Terms
Klosterneuburger Mostwaage (KMW): A method of measuring must sugar used mainly in Austria, developed by August Wilhelm Freiherr von Babo (1827-1894). The Mostwaage expresses the sugar content in percent of weight. It can be converted approximately into Öchsle by applying the formula KMW x 5.
Heuriger (also: Buschenschank): The word has two meanings. On the one hand it stands for a rustic country inn owned by a local wine producer and serving exclusively his or her own wine. On the other hand it denotes the wine of the current year which may be served as Heuriger (“this year’s”) from 11 November (St Martin’s day) until 31 December of the following year. Already Charlemagne legislated on inns selling wine, and the birthday of the Heuriger as we know it today was 17 August 1784, when Emperor Josef II provided the legal framework for a tradition that has survived until today.
Kellergasse: These small, often century-old subterranean cellars with their pretty facades were usually dug into the hillside next to one another on the outskirts of villages. The press is situated just under soil level. The so-called cellar neck links the front rooms with the cellar itself in which the temperature remains constant throughout the year. The romantic Kellergassen, streets of such cellars, can be found especially in Lower Austria and in the Burgenland.
Noble Rot: A fungus (botrytis cinerea) which, given the right conditions, attacks grapes and extracts their moisture, making them shrivel almost to raisin size. This process concentrates must and sugar inside the grapes, which can then be vinified into highly concentrated, sweet wines, the Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. Small percentages of botrytis grapes can also add sophistication to dry wines.
G’spritzter: This “splash” is a mixture of dry wine, usually Grüner Veltliner or Welschriesling, with sparkling mineral water in equal parts. A refreshing drink is popular especially in summer.
