A division of

grape varieties This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...

into Frankish and Hunnic grape varieties was practiced in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

-speaking countries in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

and separated varieties considered to be better from those considered to be lesser. Frankish (''fränkisch'') grapes were considered noble grapes, and the designation derived from the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...

, as popular belief held that those were grapes introduced by

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

or at least through his edicts.Wein-Plus Glossar: Fränkisch
accessed on January 23, 2013 Hunnic (''hunnisch'' or ''heunisch'') grapes, on the other hand, were the simpler varieties.
accessed on January 23, 2013 It is unclear whether it was actually believed that these varieties had been introduced by the

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...

, or if the term Hunnic was just used as a

pejorative A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...

. Another possibility is that ''heunisch'' derives not directly from the Huns but from a related old Low German word for "large" (''hunisc'', cf archaic Modern German ''Hüne'' "hulk, giant") that was applied to grape varieties with large berries (''huniscdrubo'' in the '' Summarium Heinrici'') which give higher yields than the smaller-berried "Frankish" varieties, but wines of lower quality and less concentrated flavours.

History

These terms can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. As an example, the mystic

Hildegard of Bingen Hildegard of Bingen (german: Hildegard von Bingen; la, Hildegardis Bingensis; 17 September 1179), also known as Saint Hildegard and the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher ...

wrote in the 12th century that the Frankish wine was stronger and set the blood so much in motion that it was necessary to dilute it with water, while the Hunnic wine was more watery by nature and therefore had not to be diluted. Some of the earliest specific varieties to be mentioned as Frankisch were

Traminer Savagnin or Savagnin blanc (not to be confused with Sauvignon blanc) is a variety of white wine grape with green-skinned berries. It is mostly grown in the Jura region of France, where it is made into Savagnin wine or the famous vin jaune and vi ...

Pinot gris Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio (, ) or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name, but the gra ...

and

Riesling Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...

in the 14th to 15th centuries. It could be noted that more than 500 years of not very well-documented viticultural history and highly uncertain grape identification separate Charlemagne and these written claims. Other traditional Frankish varieties are

Elbling Elbling is a variety of white grape (sp. ''Vitis vinifera'') which today is primarily grown in the upstream parts of the Mosel region in Germany and in Luxembourg, where the river is called Moselle. The variety has a long history, and used t ...

Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and Pinot noir and

Silvaner Sylvaner or Silvaner is a variety of white wine grape grown primarily in Alsace and Germany, where its official name is Grüner Silvaner. While the Alsatian versions have primarily been considered simpler wines, it was included among the vari ...

. The terms live on in the present names or synonyms of many varieties, such as

Blaufränkisch Blaufränkisch (German for ''blue Frankish'') is a dark-skinned variety of grape used for red wine. and California, DNA profiling has shown that Blaufränkisch is a cross between Gouais blanc (Weißer Heunisch; male parent) and Blaue Zimmettra ...

(blue Frankish) and Weisser Heunisch (white Hunnic), the German name of

Gouais blanc Gouais blanc () or Weißer Heunisch () is a white grape variety that is seldom grown today but is important as the ancestor of many traditional French and German grape varieties. The name ''Gouais'' derives from the old French adjective ‘ ...

Relationship to other grapes

DNA profiling from the 1990s has revealed that many classical grape varieties are crosses with parents in both the Frankish and Hunnic groups. Three examples with Gouais blanc as one parent are Chardonnay, which is a cross with Pinot (probably Pinot noir), Riesling, whose other parent is an undetermined hybrid with Traminer parentage, and indeed Blaufränkisch itself, which derives from Gouais blanc and the Argant clone Blaue Zimmettraube. Thus, the Frankish group of varieties does not have a totally separate pedigree from the Hunnic group. This has led to a resurged interest in the Hunnic grapes, many of which lead a dwindling existence and are on the brink of becoming extinct.

References

{{Reflist Grape varieties German wine Wine terminology

History

Relationship to other grapes

See also

References