Rhubarb and Dandelion wines from the Amana Colonies
The Community of True Inspiration, a German Lutheran sect founded
in 1714 by
Eberhard Ludwig Gruber and Johann Friedrich
Rock, immigrated in 1842 to Buffalo, New York, and to Iowa in
1855. By 1863, the Inspirationists had built seven small villages,
now known collectively as the Amana
Colonies, located
just southwest of Cedar Rapids. The original settlers lived
in communal houses, worked in communal gardens and kitchens,
ate in communal dining houses, and produced a variety of products
from communal businesses. Family members worked in the vineyards
and contributed grapes for the annual harvest. Each adult received
an allotment of wine each year. Besides producing wine from
a variety of grapes (Clintons, Concord, Beta), the Amana Colonies
produced rhubarb wine from locally grown plants. This continued
until 1919, when Prohibition necessitated the destruction of
over 19,000 gallons of wine.
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