A History of Iowa Wine by John N. Peragine

Author:John N. Peragine
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781439666685
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Inc.
Published: 2019-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Amana schoolhouse can be seen on the left of the photo. Grapes can be seen growing on the trellises on the side of the building, which was common in the Amana colonies. Amana Heritage Society.

Winemaking was a part of culture in Germany and had a long history in Europe, so when the Inspirationists finally came to America, they brought these traditions and knowledge with them. Even though they were very strict about certain societal norms, they never prohibited the consumption of alcohol.

In 1843, the Inspirationists came to America and settled on a large tract of land in Buffalo, New York, that became known as Eben-Ezer. This five-thousand-acre tract of land included six communal living communities that worked for the common good of the community without pay. In return, residents were given food, housing, clothing and anything they needed by the society that oversaw them.

The area where they settled is a popular area for vineyards today, located near the Great Lakes. However, the settlers, while planting a number of orchards, did not plant large vineyards. It was not until the Inspirationists settled in Amana, Iowa, in the 1850s that they began the practice of planting grapevines that trellised up the sides of their homes.

WINE TICKETS

In Amana, the production of wine was substantial, although in the early years it was considered communal and placed in the society’s wine cellars. Everything produced in the community was for the entire society to use. Wine was no exception, but it was regulated a bit. Each person was given an allotment of wine per year. This allotment varied a bit from year to year. On average, an adult male was given twelve gallons and a woman received six gallons. In some years, this number reached twenty gallons per man. On average, the villages produced four thousand to eight thousand gallons of wine annually.

The allotment came in the form of a wine ticket. When a member came for wine, the ticket was punched and a recording of the distribution was made in a record book. Like in any community, not everyone wanted to drink, so members could give their tickets to relatives or friends who did drink. In addition to the society members’ allotment, extra wine was given to farm crews in the field, including boys as young as fourteen.

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