Jefferson Thomas

The American politician Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was born in Shadwell in the US state of Virginia as the son of a tobacco planter. As one of the pioneers of a free America, he formulated the first draft of the US Declaration of Independence. From 1785 to 1789, he was US envoy to Paris and spent several months touring France and Italy to study viticulture. Among other places, he visited wineries in Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône, as well as in Piedmont. In a letter he wrote: "We could, in the United States, make as great a variety of wines as are made in Europe, not exactly of the same kinds, but doubtless as good." He subsequently developed into a true wine connoisseur and lover, remarking, "My measure is a perfectly sober 3 or 4 glasses at dinner." He kept detailed descriptions of Bordeaux wines and rated the best châteaux; including Château Carbonnieux (Graves) and Château-Grillet (Rhône). His rankings were used in the Bordeaux classification decision in 1855. He sent 30 bottles of Château d'Yquem, which he visited in 1787, to his friend and first US president George Washington (1732-1799).

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Jefferson Thomas

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Jefferson Thomas

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