Did early Catholic missionaries working in the tropics make do with local alcoholic drinks or did they import sacramental wine for the celebration of the mass?

by boyohboyoboy

Grapes don't just grow anywhere. Without access to local vineyards, what did early missionaries do for the Eucharistic wine? Were there official or semi-official policies on this?

QVCatullus

I can say that there are numerous references in Bernal Diaz's "Conquest of the New World" (which I have only read in translation) to the priests accompanying the conquistadors having to suspend the administration of the Eucharist when they ran out of wine, until they were able to acquire more imported wine. I cannot say with certainty that there was never a dispensation after that to use something else, but I would be highly surprised if there was.