Wine of Distinction
Benedictine Sisters of Nanaimo, House of Bread Monastery, Nanaimo, B.C.
In 1973 Bishop Remi de Roo asked the Congregation of St. Gertrude if the Benedictine Sisters would be willing to return to Vancouver Island and be a presence to the people. In 1974 Sisters Jean Ann Berning, Augusta Marie Raabe, and Ann Ryan, from Queen of Angels Monastery in Mt. Angel, Oregon, responded to his request and arrived in Nanaimo to begin a new ministry on Vancouver Island.
The sisters in Queen of Angels Monastery were accustomed to enjoying a glass of wine on special occasions and the three sisters decided they would like to continue that tradition in their new home. They eventually stopped at a liquor store to buy a bottle of wine only to be astounded at the high price of wine in British Columbia.
What to do? Money was in short supply and the price for wine was out of reach. As luck would have it, an answer was on the horizon. Sister Leonette, a Benedictine sister from Yankton, South Dakota, was living on Vancouver Island and engaged in a ministry also at the request of Bishop Remi de Roo. She visited the three sisters in Nanaimo and provided a solution. “Just make your own wine.” she said.
That sounded like a good idea to Jean Ann who then researched the winemaking process, bought the necessary supplies, picked the fruit and, voila! Winemaking began.
The sisters were beginning a small retreat ministry in the basement of the house in which they lived. There was room for 2 or 3 overnight guests and a meeting room. As Jean Ann experimented with the wine-making process the bouquet permeated the house and interest increased exponentially in this local monastery’s cottage industry.
One of her first efforts was dandelion wine, an experiment, it was agreed, that should not be repeated! However, the winemaking continued and the product was generally appreciated.
At one point the sisters decided to raise chickens, keeping some eggs for their own use and selling the rest. What better use for the wine mash than to put it out for the chickens? No surprise. The chickens got drunk!
Sister Jean Ann also attempted a Mountain Ash berry wine. The wine was good but so very cloudy it couldn’t be served. Jean Ann was about to toss it when her friend Peggy came for a visit. Jean Ann explained the failure and Peggy said, “Give it to me. It will make a very good marinade- and cheap too!” And it did!
In spite of the mishaps, practice made perfect. Jean Ann became very proficient in her winemaking abilities and many people enjoyed the fruits of her labours.
“And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine…Joel 3:18
