I n the last Stained Glass , I diverted attention away from wine, yet still kept things within the perspectives of wine industry folks and what they like to drink other than solely fermented grape juice. There are apple cider lovers all over Europe and the Americas. If you grew up in Ohio, as I did, the story of Johnny Appleseed is likely standard teaching material.
Like the westward Spanish Catholic missionaries that first planted grapes in Mexico and the Americas in the early 17th century, Johnny Appleseed was also spreading agriculture and prospecting land, along with his particular message of faith.
Looking back even further, there are many examples of religion and fermented beverages coming with the territory. Cistercian monks have been brewing beer for centuries in Europe, today there is even one lone Trappist brewery in the US — Spencer Brewery in Massachusetts. In Lazio, Italy there are nuns who are part of a monastery that makes a perennial favorite wine under the tutelage of legendary winemaker Giampiero Bea called Coenobium.
He helped guide them towards sustainable and natural farming methods to support their winemaking void of technology, truly made the old way. A big part of the commitment to certain religions and specific sects that produce alcohol is directly linked to cultivation and agriculture and is what sustains them and their homes, for generations past, present, and future. These sorts of practices are rooted in a purpose to seek and serve God.
Another way to look at brewing and cider-making as sustenance is through the nutritional lens of fermentation. In America, during the early s cider was safer to drink than water because the fermentation would kill dangerous bacteria. The acidity also helped with digestion, consumed with meals and throughout the day by men, women, and children. Fast forward to today and we look at fruit pomology for many forms of sustenance. Generally, in the world of alcoholic beverages, wine has solidified itself as only made from grapes.
