Monastic brews

The modern drinks industry owes much to the Church and to the monks who led the way in developing, preserving and sharing winemaking knowledge

- Written by Gabriel Stone

IMAGINE there's no heaven. Too nebulous? Then imagine the Church had never shown any interest in fermented beverages. It's impossible to survey the modern-day array of wine, beer, cider — and let's not overlook that otherworldly herbal digestif niche — without recognising our debt to the monastic communities who refined and preserved these life-affirming drinks.

Burgundy fans are particularly in the red. Famous grands crus such as Clos de Vougeot, Clos de Bèze and Romanée St Vivant were originally demarcated by medieval monks, major landowners at the time. Let's not forget nuns either: Clos de Tart, today part of François Pinault's luxury goods empire, belonged for many centuries to a female Cistercian order at the inaptly named Tart Abbey. It was also monks who recognised the suitability of Pinot Noir to the Côte d'Or, sparking a reverence for this capricious grape that endures to this day.

The Church's influence extended well beyond Burgundy and Pinot Noir. Great German names such as Schloss Johannisberg and Kloster Eberbach are rooted in monastic enterprise. The former Rheingau estate played a central role in the elevation of another indisputably noble grape, Riesling. Indeed, a statue in the courtyard there commemorates the legendary Spätlese Rider. In 1775 this messenger's delayed return from obtaining the Prince-Bishop of Fulda's permission to begin harvest led to the leap of faith that saw rotten grapes transformed into the superior refreshment that is Riesling Spätlese.