Indeed, sacramental wine is traditionally red, by analogy with the blood of Christ.

Under pressure, in 1595 King Philip II of Spain prohibited almost all new wine grape cultivation in Mexico, limiting it solely to sacramental wine for Catholic parishes.

I discovered that sacramental wine tasted horrible, as did holy water.

For a while, the missions’ sacramental wine was shipped up from Mexico, but pretty soon vine cuttings were bundled and sent north too.

The laws allowed men to store liquor at their clubs and specifically exempted sacramental wine and “medicinal” whiskey.