Winter 2010 www.monticello.org VOLUMe 21, nUMBer 2

Monticello is a newsletter published twice yearly by the thomas Jefferson Foundation, inc., the private, nonprofit corporation that has owned and operated Monticello since 1923. its mission is preservation and education. Questions, comments and address changes should be directed to:

Monticello newsletter, P.O. Box 217, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902; newsletter@monticello.org; or (434) 984-9822.

Celebrating the Legacy of Jefferson & Wine

Visitors enjoyed wine from ten local wineries on the West Lawn during the Inaugural Wine Festival at Monticello. tJF

Jefferson’s Wine Travels“April 17. 18. Turin. There is a red wine of Nebiule made in this neighborhood which is very singular. It is about as sweet as the silky Madeira, as astringent on the palate as Bordeaux, and as brisk as Champagne. It is a pleasing wine. At Moncaglieri, about 6 miles from Turin, on the right side the Po begins a ridge of mountains, which following the Po by Turin, after some distance, spreads wide and forms the dutchy of Montferrat. The soil is mostly red and in vines, affording a wine called Montferrat, which is thick and strong…”—Thomas Jefferson, “Memorandums taken on a journey from Paris into the Southern parts of France and Northern of Italy, in the year of 1787”

Silver goblet designed by Thomas

Jefferson, made in Paris by Claude-Nicolas

Delanoy, 1789.

edward Owen, tJF

IN hIs “Memorandums taken on a journey from Paris into the southern parts of France and Northern of Italy, in the year of 1787,” Thomas Jefferson relays a detailed account of his wine travel in the late 18th century. Eloquently describing the earthly details, the color of the soil, the crops growing in the fields, Jefferson discusses his passion for wine while traveling from Marseilles to Bordeaux.

In the Bordeaux region, Jefferson writes about wine as it ages, noting details like color, flavor and body. In modern times, these wine identifiers are known even to novice wine drinkers but would have been considered novel in Jefferson’s time. Jefferson’s passion for wine was evident, as was his desire to see America produce its own wines. Early efforts by Jefferson and others to grow vinifera failed due to pests and disease.

The success of the Virginia wine industry has reawakened an interest in Jefferson as a wine connoisseur.

“People from around the world are excited about Virginia wine. Considering our rich history and Jefferson’s wine legacy, Monticello was a perfect place

to continue this dialogue on Jefferson and wine,” said Foundation president and CEO Leslie Greene Bowman.

Located in the All-Weather Passageway under the main house, the Wine Cellar was the very first cellar space dug during Monticello’s construction. Monticello’s Wine Cellar, recently restored through the generosity of howard and Abby Milstein, provides visitors an opportunity to experience the story of Jefferson and wine. The Foundation has restored Jefferson’s Wine Cellar to the way it looked and functioned during his retirement years (1809–1826).

In celebration of Jefferson’s impact on American wines, Monticello hosted both the inaugural Wine Festival at Monticello and the 22nd Annual Kickoff to October Virginia Wine Month, where the Virginia Wine Board awarded the 2010 Governor’s Cup for White Wines.

hundreds of wine enthusiasts came to the Wine Festival at Monticello to sample wines from ten local vineyards and to tour Monticello and its restored Wine Cellar, including the First Lady

of Virginia, Maureen McDonnell. The Afton string Quartet and the Virginia Gentlemen Fine Men’s Acapella provided entertainment on the West Lawn. Local wine experts were on hand to answer questions about Virginia’s finest wines and how they compare to the vintages that Jefferson enjoyed.