Wine Connoisseur Extraordinaire
by Carolyn Prusa CWE
Take this short quiz: Which description best describes Thomas Jefferson?
- Third President of the United States
- Principal author of the Declaration of Independence
- Founding Father of the United States
- Governor of Virginia
- First American Minister to France
- Founder of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. - The most learned wine connoisseur ever to hold national office.
- All of the Above
Correct Answer: All of the Above.
At a dinner for Nobel Prize winners, President John F. Kennedy once said that more brainpower was gathered in the White House on that occasion than ever before in history….. except, perhaps, when Thomas Jefferson dined there alone.
A genuine Renaissance man, Thomas Jefferson was recognized even in his own time as an expert in science, architecture, philosophy and the arts. He was also one of the most avid and knowledgeable wine lovers ever to hold national office. Among his many journals, researchers have found volumes of historical information, including wine inventories and receipts for hundreds of bottles of European wine.
As president, Jefferson spent about 10 percent of his $25,000 salary on wine. He was also wine advisor to several other presidents. In fact, at President George Washington’s request, Thomas Jefferson selected the first wines to be stocked in the White House. He placed the order with the firm of Barton & Guestier, a well known name in the wine business since 1725 and still going strong today.
Jefferson’s love affair with wine first began during the 1780s, when for five years he served as the first U.S. Ambassador to France. In his leisure, the Ambassador journeyed throughout the European countryside, Jefferson sampled and studied local wines and food along the way.
After his term ended, Jefferson returned home an avid Francophile, a collector of both French recipes and wine. The Jefferson White House was run by French majordomo Etiene Lemair and multi-course dinners were prepared under the direction of French chef Julien Honore. The nation’s third President stocked a wide variety of wines, including champagne, estimating that two bottles would serve five persons. Patrick Henry once told a political rally that the author of the Declaration of Independence had “adjured his native victuals.”
Regarding wine as “a necessity of life,” Jefferson enthusiastically promoted its virtues as a moderate beverage of health. In Jefferson’s congratulatory letter to James Monroe on his election to the presidency, all but six lines were on which wines Monroe should consider suitable for entertaining.
Although wine was advised by Jefferson’s doctor, there seemed to have been some disagreement between the two over the proper dosage. “Like my friend the doctor,” Jefferson wrote, “I have lived temperately... I double, however, the Doctor’s glass and a half of wine and even treble it with a friend.”
Having described wine as “the true old man’s restorative cordial,” Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826 in his 83rd year. John Adams, his political ally and predecessor, died on the very same day.
Thomas Jefferson’s love of wine never wavered. Of this I have no doubt. Proof positive: One of Jefferson’s last records written in his own hand was an inventory of his wine cellar.
Jefferson Wines
Burgundy: Although Jefferson’s stay in Burgundy lasted only a few days, what he learned about the region’s wines would last his lifetime. He called Montrachet the best white wine, a distinction it still retains. Of the reds, he admired Chambertin, followed by Vougeot and Vosne. Although Jefferson’s favorite burgundies are way beyond my budget, here are a couple that won’t break the bank.
Joseph Drouhin Véro Pinot Noir, Burgundy - With a simple label, understandable name and clear indication of what’s in the bottle, Véro is a good introduction to the delicacy and finesse of a true Burgundy. The Drouhin family has been making wine for over a hundred years. Veronica Drouhin is responsible for this wine; she believes that finesse and elegance are the hallmark of Burgundy wines.
Macon-Lugny Les Charmes Chardonnay, Macon-Villages - Riding through the Maconnais, Burgundy’s largest white wine region, Thomas Jefferson said “this is the richest country I ever beheld... they have a method of mixing beautifully the culture of vines, trees and corn.” Macon wines represent the best value in white burgundy and Macon-Lugny has long been a favorite of mine. I find it richer and more intense than most Chardonnay from the region, clean and fresh without a heavy overtone of oak.
Bordeaux: Although his trip through the Bordeaux wine country was 68 years before the 1855 Classification of the vineyards, Jefferson called Chateaux Haut-Brion, Lafite, Latour and Margaux “First Growths,” making his selection of Bordeaux’s best reds extremely accurate. The region’s reputation to this day revolves around these and one other legendary First Growth (Mouton Rothschild) although these wines represent only a small facet of the total. As you might guess, the region’s best buys are not among its classified growth. Here’s a red Bordeaux wine that easily compares with others that cost 2-3 times as much.
Chateau Bois Chantant, Bordeaux - This wine, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, is by two of the most recognized names in the region – Bernard Magrez and Michel Rolland. It has super ripe blackberry and cassis fruit with great balance, sweet tannins and a silky, long finish. It is ready to drink now but has the ability to age as well.
Rhone Valley: Jefferson’s travels through the Rhone included both the northern and southern regions. The Cotes du Rhone is one of France’s largest wine growing regions, offering great values in red wine. The grape varieties planted in the area are numerous, the wines a blend of several. The good producers use a good portion of Grenache, and Syrah. Count this producer as one of them.
M. Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes du Rhone Rouge - Michel Chapoutier has a passion for his historic vines, farming them under the strict principles of biodynamics. One of his staunchest admirers, Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate described Michel as a winemaking superstar. Stylish, concentrated and fruitladen, the Chapoutier wines have become benchmarks for quality and style. Setting yet another precedent, since 1996 all M. Chapoutier wine labels are in Braille. The well-structured Belleruche Rouge, with dark red fruit and pepper notes, is a great introduction to one of the world’s most celebrated wine appellations.
Southern France: Jefferson’s journey took him down the Rhone River to Arles where the river divides into two branches before emptying into the Mediterranean to the south. The Vin de Pays d’Oc wine-growing region in the south of France is the largest in the world. Thanks to the efforts of the region’s wine makers as well as a lot of foreign investors, the reputation of the wines has strengthened over the years and rightfully so.
Barton & Guestier Bistro Chardonnay – This is a great value white wine from the Languedoc in southwest France. No newworld oak bomb here, but a charming French chardonnay that’s packed with an earthy, flinty minerality.
Thomas Jefferson References
- Thomas Jefferson Cookbook by Marie Kimball
- Passions, the Wines and Travels of Thomas Jefferson by James M. Gabler
- Thomas Jefferson’s European Travel Diaries
- The Insider’s Guide to Virginia’s Blue Ridge American Food - The Gastronomic Story by Evan Jones
- Vintage: The History of Wine by Hugh Johnson