On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 14:26:47 GMT, Leo Bueno
> wrote:

>
>How did we deal in the US during the Prohibition period with the
>sacramental use of wine? Seems like this would have been a
>significant First Amendment (freedom of religion, for the non-US folk)
>issue.

Leaving out beer consumption, overall alcohol consumption rose from
1.85 gallons per person per year before the Prohibition to 1.95
during.

So called sacramental wine was still produced during the Prohibition,
mainly by Beringer Bros, but also by Concannon Vineyards, who until
1980 maintained the practice of sending the Pope a barrel of
californian Muscat of Frontignan every year. In 1925 the Federal
Council of the Churches of Christ determines that sacramental wine
consumption rose from 2 million gallons in 1922 to more or less 3
million in 1924, with no plausible reason given for this increase. It
appears that Prohibition somehow encouraged a rise in religious
fervour... ;-)

Mike

Source: MAurice Bensoussan, Le Viti Americane, Slow Food Editions

Mike Tommasi, Six Fours, France
email link http://www.tommasi.org/mymail