The Middle Ages were the matrix of the modern world. Around the year 1000, nearly one hundred and sixty Alsatian localities, including Riquewihr, produced and exported wine. A part was exploited by the monks who made the activity prosper. Forests, vines, and rivers were then of vital importance. Agriculture was dense, thanks to the multiple streams of water that flow through the Alsace plain. It produced cereals and hemp, and large herds grazed there. The nearby mountains allowed mining activities from which silver and antimony were extracted to create money.