Thomas Jefferson, our third President, framer of the Declaration of Independence, scientist and historian, was also an enthusiastic wine connoisseur, resourcing the best of French wines for the enjoyment of himself and those around him and later advising Adams, Madison and Monroe on wine affairs.  His compulsively organized and detailed account of his daily life and records indicates that he had a penchant for what we know as first growths, such as Haut Brion and Lafite.  Not only did he savor their wines, but in the true spirit of one thirsty for knowledge, scrutinized every element of wine production from the composition of the soils, to the vines and winemaking. 

Before departing France in 1789 as the Minister of France, Jefferson shipped Sauternes, Burgundy and Champagne to New York for the newly elected first president of the United States, George Washington.  Then as Secretary of State, he placed another large order for the first President and himself.  Jefferson, well known to be quite compulsive in affairs of his life, even attempted to grow wine grapes at Monticello but without success.  Still, he was convinced that the newborn United States had the capability to produce top quality grapes and wine……quite prescient, I would say.

When Jefferson was appointed as Secretary of State under the newly elected George Washington, he left France for the United States with a large stash of wine but left behind a significant collection, which it’s presumed he would return for at some point.  That point never materialized and all of his possessions were sold off.  It’s alleged that a few of his holdings were stolen or misplaced, including wines, some of which simply seemed to disappear.    That, in essence, is where The Billionaire’s Vinegar begins.

Penned by Benjamin Wallace, noted author who has written for GQ magazine, The Washington Post, Food and Wine and Philadelphia, this part detective and part historical story connects two hundred years of history through the discovery of wine thought to be bottled for and owned by Thomas Jefferson.  But make no mistake …. this is not a story about the discovery of colonial artifacts for historical and museum purposes.  This is a detective story about the search for the truth intermingled with insanity of power hungry collectors and auctioneers.

The book begins in the 1980’s at the beginning of what history will record as the launch of the modern day wine collection bubble.   Revealing a snip it of what was to come in the auction world of Sotheby’s and Christie’s, the book winds its way through the intense, at times nearly frenzied, world of wine auctions with names such as Michael Broadbent, Hardy Rodenstock (alias name),Marvin Shanken, owner of the Wine Spectator and Malcolm Forbes.  At the center, lies the alleged Jefferson bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite Rothschild intersecting with fame and money fueled wine collectors and auctioneers.  With its authenticity in play,  given its owner, its age and risks of oxidation, we witness power struggles, allegations and deceit, all a foundation for a “whodunit” detective novel.  However, where there’s smoke, there’s fire and this bottle of first growth Bordeaux is just the tip of the iceberg in a wine auction market out of control that we now know peaked in 2007.  This book is a great read, intertwining one of the founding intellectual and political lynchpins of our nation with modern day thirst for money and fame.

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Tags: Thomas Jefferson, Wine auction