Wine Industry Resources
1.16.2009
Thomas Jefferson: Wine Connoisseur
With the nation focused on the recent presidential election, it's an appropriate time to remember the passion for wine possessed by one of America's most important presidents and Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson.
Aside from his famous and vehement passion for liberty, Jefferson was a man of many interests, perhaps none more consuming than his interest in wine. Unknown to most Americans today, some historians consider Jefferson to be the foremost wine connoisseur of his time. A lover of wine from all over Europe, especially France, Portugal, Italy, and Spain, he constructed large wine cellars at his estate of Monticello to hold thousands of bottles worth of wine. Throughout his career, he used his influence both within and outside of government to encourage imports of wine into the US. He believed that in time, the US would be capable of producing wines just as good as Europe, and to further this goal, he encouraged European winemakers to try to grow vitis vinifera vines in the US.
Upon becoming president, Jefferson moved in to the White House and immediately began construction of a wine cellar under the property to store many bottles and barrels of imported wine, which he purchased himself. From his presidential salary of $25,000, he averaged over $3,000 per year in wine purchases during his first term. As the head of state, Jefferson enjoyed entertaining political allies, rivals, and visiting dignitaries, and took the opportunity to liberally serve his favorite wines and often discuss them at length. His enthusiasm was sometimes seen as excessive and occasionally annoyed his friends and fellow patriots who were not always understanding of his passion for European tastes.
Were Thomas Jefferson alive today, while likely being dismayed by much of our current political climate, he would undoubtedly be immensely proud of the wine emanating from our nation's myriad wineries. His vision of a country that can produce wine on par with that of Europe's best has materialized. Coincidentally, the famous "Judgment of Paris", in which Californian wines bested France's finest estates in a blind tasting by French judges and destroyed the idea of American winemaking inferiority, occurred in 1976, the 200 year anniversary of Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.
Aside from his famous and vehement passion for liberty, Jefferson was a man of many interests, perhaps none more consuming than his interest in wine. Unknown to most Americans today, some historians consider Jefferson to be the foremost wine connoisseur of his time. A lover of wine from all over Europe, especially France, Portugal, Italy, and Spain, he constructed large wine cellars at his estate of Monticello to hold thousands of bottles worth of wine. Throughout his career, he used his influence both within and outside of government to encourage imports of wine into the US. He believed that in time, the US would be capable of producing wines just as good as Europe, and to further this goal, he encouraged European winemakers to try to grow vitis vinifera vines in the US.
Upon becoming president, Jefferson moved in to the White House and immediately began construction of a wine cellar under the property to store many bottles and barrels of imported wine, which he purchased himself. From his presidential salary of $25,000, he averaged over $3,000 per year in wine purchases during his first term. As the head of state, Jefferson enjoyed entertaining political allies, rivals, and visiting dignitaries, and took the opportunity to liberally serve his favorite wines and often discuss them at length. His enthusiasm was sometimes seen as excessive and occasionally annoyed his friends and fellow patriots who were not always understanding of his passion for European tastes.
Were Thomas Jefferson alive today, while likely being dismayed by much of our current political climate, he would undoubtedly be immensely proud of the wine emanating from our nation's myriad wineries. His vision of a country that can produce wine on par with that of Europe's best has materialized. Coincidentally, the famous "Judgment of Paris", in which Californian wines bested France's finest estates in a blind tasting by French judges and destroyed the idea of American winemaking inferiority, occurred in 1976, the 200 year anniversary of Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.
