Franconia, the German wine region that includes northwest Bavaria, the northeastern reaches of Baden-Württemberg around Heilbronn-Franken, and parts of southern Thuringia. During the Middle Ages, the wine from this region was highly praised, and grapes that were thought to be capable of producing superior wines were called Fränkisch to distinguish them from the less highly prized Hunnic grapes. It is likely that from sometime during this period up until the 1900s, Blaufränkisch (literally Blue Frankish) began to be grown in the region. Despite the close association to Franconia, ampelographers believe that the grape likely originated somewhere in a swath of land stretching from Dalmatia through Austria and Hungary. They base this belief on the proliferation of synonyms originating from these areas as well as DNA evidence showing that the old Hungarian wine grape Kékfrankos was, in fact, Blaufränkisch, and that Gouais blanc (Weisser Heunisch) and an unknown grape variety are the parent varieties of Blaufränkisch. Despite its French name, it has been speculated that Gouais blanc has Eastern European origins, with the term "Heunisch" thought to derive from the Huns, and Gouais blanc being confirmed as a parent variety of another old Hungarian wine grape Furmint, but ultimately the exact birthplace of both Gouais blanc and Blaufränkisch are unknown. The synonyms Lemberger and Limberger first appeared in literature near the end of the 19th century in relation to the grape's believed origins from the Austro-Hungarian cities of Lemberg (today in modern Slovenia) and Limberg (today known as Maissau) in Lower Austria. In 1875, the International Ampelographic Commission in Colmar, France adopted Blaufränkisch as an officially sanctioned name. Viticulture The Blaufränkisch vine is known as an early budding variety that can be susceptible to early spring frost. It is a late ripening variety, and tends to be planted in warmer vineyard sites. Among the viticultural hazards that Blaufränkisch is most prone to are powdery and downy mildews. Blaufränkisch is considered a high productive vine capable of producing high yields fairly easily. In some parts of Europe it is not uncommon to see it harvested at . However over-cropping the vine has a tendency to produce thin wines with many green, weedy notes. Wine regions Today Blaufränkisch is planted across the globe from Japan, the United States and Australia to Germany, Hungary and Austria. Austria It is possible that Blaufränkisch or a similar forerunner of the grape was already cultivated in regions