‘Sacred Wine’: How Monks Built Europe’s Wine Culture

February 15, 2026 World News

‘Maison Drappier is in the debt of the Benedictines, who were the first to produce the drink that we know today as Champagne. Or, more specifically, they are in the debt of one particular Benedictine, Dom Perignon,’ explains Emily Stimpson Chapman in ‘Sacred Wine.’

Catholic author Emily Stimpson Chapman offers a personal glimpse into the colorful world of monastic wine, journeying through monasteries in Italy, France and Spain as windows into Europe’s spiritual and cultural heritage.

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