The group adopted and practiced a religious-communial way of life. All property was held in common and the church leaders made all church and business decisions. The art of wine-making was one of the many communal activities practiced by Amana residents. The society's "Weinmeister" (wine master) cultivated and planted the grape vines. Each family in the community was assigned to the task of maintaining and harvesting part of the vineyard. At harvest time, the grapes were hauled to the press house where they were crushed, pressed and set to ferment in the wine cellars. The punch-ticket system was used to distribute the finished wine. Women were each allowed only 12 gallons per year compared to 20 gallons per year for each man.

With the beginning of Prohibition, winemaking was discontinued. In 1919 the vineyards were destroyed and over 19,000 gallons of wine were poured into the sewer system. The joke of the day was about the catfish from Iowa to New Orleans having major hangovers. The grape trellises that adorned the sides of most houses were left for the personal use of the families. Today those trellises remain with most of the grapes being used for jelly and juice.

1932 brought the end of the communal way of life in the colonies. Church affairs were separated from the business affairs of the community. With tourism increasing in the Colonies, several families turned their winemaking hobby into businesses. In the early days, concord grape and rhubarb were the only varieties of wine made. Rhubarb wine was locally known as "piestengel," a German slang word, literally meaning pie plant. As the knowledge and experience of the vintners grew, many new fruit, berry and vegetable wines were added. These wines, ranging from the country classic dandelion to the exotic honey wine, have made the wineries of Amana Colonies one of the most unique attractions in the Midwest.

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