This grape variety designation dates back to the early Middle Ages and does not name an individual variety but a group. It is a designation of origin that, according to an unverifiable hypothesis, goes back to the Frankish king Charlemagne (742-814). After the conquest of Gaul, the Franks brought the "nobler" varieties there from what is now France to Germany and later called them "Frankish" here. The first explicit documentary mentions were Moreillon (Pinot) from 1283, Traminer (Savagnin Blanc) from 1349 and Riesling from 1435. In addition, the old varieties Elbling, Orléans and Silvaner are also included. Together with the Heunian varieties, the Franconian ones belong to the most important gene pool of many of today's European standard vines.
In the Middle Ages, the Franconian varieties were generally considered the "better" or more valuable and the Heunian (Hunnic) varieties the "inferior" vines. The most important Franconian varieties were...
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Egon Mark
Diplom-Sommelier, Weinakademiker und Weinberater, Volders (Österreich)