Doubtless as Good

Upon his return from France in 1789, Thomas Jefferson discovered that he had not only been nominated to be President George Washington’s Secretary of State, but the United States Senate had already confirmed him in his absence. To his delight, Jefferson discovered that one unofficial duty he would be performing as Secretary of State was to serve as Washington’s wine consultant. Using his contacts in both France and America, Jefferson ordered hundreds of bottles of wine for himself and Washington, who loved both champagne and Sauternes.

In 1801, when Jefferson was elected President, he left his own, distinct mark on the presidency. Jefferson’s wine purchases reflected his new $25,000 annual salary. Jefferson, a widower, entertained extensively at the presidential mansion. His personal French chef provided presidential guests with some of the finest food served in America and, according to one prominent senator, “plenty of wines and good.” In one month, 207 bottles of Champagne were served to 651 dinner guests, and in one year the amount of Jefferson’s salary spent on food topped $6,000. During his first term, President Thomas Jefferson spent $7,597 on wine alone. Jefferson brought both a culinary and cultural sophistication to the Presidency that some say has never been matched.