Fun Facts

While serving as President, Jefferson spent approximately one half of his annual salary on the importation of wine from Europe.

Acte 12 of 1619 required all landowners in the Jamestown colony to plant and maintain ten grape vines per year.

Thomas Jefferson served as the unofficial “wine advisor” to the first five presidential administrations of the United States.



During the Revolutionary War, British Cavalry under the command of the infamous Colonel Tarlton arrived at Monticello looking to capture Jefferson - instead it is said they captured much of his wine cellar.

At the risk of capital punishment, Jefferson smuggled rice out of Italy to compare with rice grown in South Carolina - and determined that American rice was superior.

In 1985, bottles of wine believed to be part of a lost shipment of Thomas Jefferson’s were discovered in France. A bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite was purchased at auction for $157,500.

Upon returning to America from France, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton waived the import duties on all of Jefferson’s European purchases - except for his wines.

Thomas Jefferson helped introduced tomatoes, ice cream, pasta and waffles to the American palate.