Entertainer-in-Chief: Part I, Thomas Jefferson
With President’s Day soon upon us in this election year, it’s time for the first installment of Entertainer-in-Chief!
…the urbane Thomas Jefferson, who occupied the residence from 1801 through 1809. Jefferson moved swiftly to grace the President’s House with all the trappings of the leader of a great new country, including stocking it with fine wines from around the world. Jefferson’s Williamsburg education and worldly ways imbued him with a predisposition for the pleasures of the palate, and his extensive travels throughout France and Italy in the 1780s made him a student of wine.
When he ascended to the presidency, Jefferson had wine vaults constructed below the east colonnade to house his sizable collection. (The area is no longer used for that purpose.) He is said to have spent more than $11,000 on wine during his two terms as president, a sum that in today’s economy would equal roughly $175,000.
Jefferson was a gracious host, regularly dipping into his private collection to entertain foreign dignitaries, as well as his colleagues and opponents, in high style. In Jefferson’s day, presidents didn’t have expense accounts, but rather were expected to run the household from their own salary. Indeed, it is said that Jefferson was generous to a fault, entertaining so lavishly that financial problems would follow him to his grave. [Wine News]
Wow, what a gent. And what an exemplary, overstretched American consumer! Good thing home equity loans hadn’t been invented or he might have set off his own mortgage crisis at Monticello.
On February 14th, 2008 at 7:05 pm ,Tony Correia wrote:
Now THAT’s the kind of “Leadership” this country needs today!!!!
On February 14th, 2008 at 8:30 pm ,Richard Smith wrote:
Prince Michel – One of the associate wineries at http://www.customwinesource.com – is located about an hour north of Charlottesville, home of Monticello, Jefferson’s magnificent estate.
On my last trip there I visited Monticello and discovered just how fascinating a man, Jefferson was. Author of the Declaration of Independence, president, wine afficionado, philosopher, inventor, slave owner and, though few people realize it, Jefferson was the father of America’s wine industry. That’s right, Virginia is the true heartland of American viticulture…and you thought it was California!.
On February 15th, 2008 at 10:15 am ,PINONVY wrote:
Monticello winery in Napa Valley is based in a replica of Monticello, and makes some great wines.
http://www.corleyfamilynapavalley.com/
On February 15th, 2008 at 10:51 am ,Dr Vino’s wine blog » Blog Archive » Entertainer-in-Chief: Part II, Schramsberg at the White House wrote:
[…] the phone to ask him about the experiences for this second installment of our two-part mini-series, Entertainer-in-Chief. Two instances stood out to me of serving Schramsberg at state […]
On December 1st, 2012 at 3:18 pm ,About those Jefferson bottles... | Dr Vino's wine blog wrote:
[…] At that time, entertaining expenses came out of the president’s own pocket; a story in the now-defunct Wine News once put the valuation at $11,000, or about $200,000 in today’s […]