Oechsle scale The mass difference between equivalent volumes of must and water is almost entirely due to the dissolved sugar in the must. Since the alcohol in wine is produced by fermentation of the sugar, the Oechsle scale is used to predict the maximal possible alcohol content of the finished wine. This measure is commonly used to select when to harvest grapes. In the vineyard, the must density is usually measured by using a refractometer by crushing a few grapes between the fingers and letting the must drip onto the glass prism of the refractometer. In countries using the Oechsle scale, the
The Grapes of Wrath sums up the book's influence: ""The Grapes of Wrath" may well be the most thoroughly discussed novel – in criticism, reviews, and college classrooms – of 20th century American literature." "The Grapes of Wrath" is referred to as a Great American Novel. At the time of publication, Steinbeck's novel "was a phenomenon on the scale of a national event. It was publicly banned and burned by citizens, it was debated on national radio; but above all, it was read." According to "The New York Times," it was the best-selling book of 1939 and 430,000 copies had been printed by February