The new ‘Thomas Jefferson on Wine’ (Hailman) is a fun read. Most of us probably know of his wine leanings, but reading a lot of detail is interesting. F. Scott Fitzgerald said something like ‘sometimes it is best to view somebody through a single window,’ which is kind of how the guy’s whole life comes into sharp focus when viewed exclusively through his intense wine interest. His reflections on living in Paris read a lot like Hemingway’s ‘A movable Feast.’
Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Adams, they were all wine geeks. John Hancock was a wine importer. The reason he joined the Revolution was to beat taxes on wine. When America won, he still cheated the government, and John Adams had to bail him out.
Jefferson was definitely interested in democracy; even though he was a bit of a wine elitist – and seemed to care more about food and wine than politics. He probably would have still joined the Revolution even if Benedict Arnold hadn’t wrecked his wine cellar. I got the sense that he was asked to write the Declaration of Independence because he was so fluent with words, possibly honed by his copious notes on wine.
His favorite wine was Obrien. I opened a 1997 Haut Brion while reading the book. I didn’t like it as well as Pape Clement from the same year; even though I think it is technically a better wine. Jenise would like the first growth’s elegant minerality. I was looking for more earth and tobacco. I think there is much less difference between a first growth and a ‘lesser’ classification than there was in Jefferson’s time.