Jefferson…Meet the Wine Bloggers, Wine Bloggers…Meet Jefferson
One is never too far from Thomas Jefferson when in Charlottesville, Virginia. His greats works surround the city in the from of Monticello and the University of Virginia. He is the city's apparent mascot and his name helps promote many an idea, service and product in this neck of the woods.
But for those at the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference Thomas Jefferson must be of great symbolic importance. Jefferson's love of wine and promotion of the beverage so early in American history leads to a case being made for his position as America's first great viticulturalist and first great and prominent promoter of and lover of wine.
No doubt Jefferson's love of wine was cultivated by his trips to France. He eventually came to believe that America would produce wines every bit as great as those on the old continent. He, of course was right.
A great deal of very good work has been done on Jefferson's relationship with wine. I want to recomend two books for those wanting to establish a deeper knowledge of his pursuit of wine as life enhancer and as an American product. Both written by James Gabler, they will give the reader and excellent foundation on Jefferson's relationship with wine and the early history of wine in American history.
PASSIONS: THE WINES AND TRAVELS OF THOMAS JEFFERSON
By James Gabler
The best of the two in my view. Gabler is an expert on Jefferson's passion.
AN EVENING WITH BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND THOMAS JEFFERSON: DINNER, WINE AND CONVERSATION
By James Gabler
A fascinating and fun speculative book on what Ben and Thomas would have discussed together over wine and food.
As communicators and educators and blogges and writers about wine, it seems to me we are obligated to build an historical context for our passion. These two books are great places to start.
Jefferson on Wine by John Hailman was pretty good, too.
http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Jefferson-Wine-John-Hailman/dp/1604733705/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311431864&sr=8-1
Hailman spent a lot of time reading through the Jefferson correspondence at Monticello (lucky him!) and he recently finished a 2nd edition, out in November, I think, University of Mississippi press).
The Monticello folks are very helpful when checking a Jefferson fact or quote (…don’t believe everything you Google or read on a press release).
Put Jefferson and America’s 200-year pursuit of vitis vinifera wine into perspective by reading Thomas Pinney’s fantastic A History of American Wine (2 vols, UC Press).
And congrats, Tom on two awards.
Congrats Tom, BTW John Haliman’s book is quite good! Cheers to you on the win(s)TMcD