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. 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.[2]
- ^ Wein-Plus Glossar: Fränkisch, accessed on January 23, 2013
- ^ a b Wein-Plus Glossar: Heunisch, accessed on January 23, 2013