The earliest provable Franken viticulture was recorded in the mid-8th century (700's A.D.) by the Benedictine nuns and monks. They were the first vintners in the Franken region. Legend has it that they used short, rounded earthen flasks to take their drink to the vineyards or to long hours of prayer in cold churches. Through the day, these monastic vintners carried the short flasks, and sometimes food, with them in their "Beutels"* -- cloth bags (or "prayer bags") cinched & tied on their waistbands…and while working on the steep slopes among the vines, the monks and nuns had no fear that their drinks might be lost because of accidental spills. Happily, they could set their short, round flasks down anywhere, and rest assured that their "Beutels" would not roll downhill!