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What does predicate mean?
A Prädikat wine is a quality wine made from grapes in an advanced state of ripeness. The must weight, i.e. the sum of all dissolved substances in the grape must, serves as an assessment criterion for the maturity of the grapes. The must weight is measured in Germany in degrees Oechsle and in Austria in degrees KMW (Klosterneuburger Mostwaage). The rule is: the higher the must weight, the higher the predicate.
Predicates are mainly relevant for German and Austrian wines, but they also exist in some other European countries. In Germany, Prädikat wines represent the highest of the four levels of the quality system.
The Prädikats in Germany are in ascending order (i.e. with ascending minimum must weight of the grapes):
Other predicates in Austria are Ausbruch and Strohwein or Schilfwein