Winner of Two Emmy Awards
- Cinematography
- Musical Composition
Peep Into Elysium
Nature never formed a country of more savage aspect than that on both sides of the Rhone. Yet has the hand of man subdued this savage scene, by planting corn where there is little fertility, trees where there is still less, and vines where there is none. On the whole it assumes a romantic, picturesque and pleasing air. – Thomas Jefferson
In 1784, Thomas Jefferson replaced Benjamin Franklin as United States minister to the court of King Louis XVI. Upon Jefferson’s arrival in Paris, Franklin promptly updated the Virginian on the latest political and diplomatic news from Versailles. Dr. Franklin also updated Jefferson on the latest wine vintages and introduced him to the best wine merchants in the city.
Jefferson’s five years in Paris radically changed his life. Though Parisian hôtel culture was unpalatable, many of its aspects nevertheless captivated Jefferson. Nowhere was this more apparent than on his famous southern tour, his “peep only into Elysium” in the spring of 1787. Jefferson’s grand tour took him from cold, damp Paris through picturesque Burgundy, down the Rhone Valley to the French Riviera, then over to northern Italy and back across province to Bordeaux. During his trip, he marveled at France’s Roman antiquities and savored the finest Chateau wines in the world and studiously recorded their production methods. More importantly, he established personal relationships in the wine industry that would serve him well after his return to America. By the end of his five years in France, Jefferson possessed a depth of knowledge and an appreciation of wines that was unparalleled by anyone in our young country.