User:Tomas e/Frankish and Hunnic grape varieties

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A division of grape varieties into Frankish and Hunnic grape varieties was practiced in German-speaking countries in the Middle ages 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, as popular belief held that those were grapes introduced by Charlemagne or at least through his edicts.[1] Hunnic (hunnisch or heunisch) grapes, on the other hand, were the simpler varieties.[2] It is unclear whether it was actually believed that these varieties had been introduced by the Huns, or if the term Hunnic was just used as a pejorative. These terms can be traced back to the early Middle ages.

The terms live on in the present names of many varieties, such as Blaufränkisch (blue Frankish) and Weisser Heunisch (white Hunnic), the German name of Gouais blanc.

DNA profiling from the 1990s has revealed that many classical grape varieties are crosses with both Frankish and Hunnic influences. Two examples are Chardonnay, which is a cross between Pinot and Gouais blanc, and Riesling, which is a cross between Gouais blanc and a another cross with a Traminer component. 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.

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]

[[Category:Grapes]] [[Category:German wine]] [[Category:Wine terms]]