While the first officially documented appearance of Blaufränkisch did not occur until 1862 when the grape was included in a viticultural exposition in Vienna, Austria, it is likely that the grape is much older and has perhaps been around as long as the Middle Ages under a variety of Fränkisch synonyms. The term Fränkisch itself comes from 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.