HILE WINE-MAKING is not one of the most storied industries in the Bayou State, Louisianans have practiced fermentation as a means of food preservation and tradition for centuries. French and Spanish colonists combined European methods with the bounty of local fruits to create unique versions of ratafia (an ancient sweet liquor often made by mashing fruits with brandy or other base spirits). The 1901 (reprinted in 2013 by Andrews McMeel Publishing) contains a handful of
