| Although born on the Virginia frontier, Thomas | | | | vineyard, they stopped along the way at |
| Jefferson became the most knowledgeable wine | | | | Monticello to visit Jefferson. |
| connoisseur of his age, and his tastes in wine | | | | Early the next morning, Mazzei and Jefferson |
| covered the world: France, Italy, Germany, | | | | went for a walk through Monticello's hillsides, and |
| Madeira, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Hungary and, of | | | | Mazzei found the vineyard land he was looking |
| course, America. | | | | for, a 400-acre tract adjoining Monticello to the |
| His interests in wine developed early as indicated | | | | east. He named it "Colle." Jefferson described the |
| by his 1769 Shadwell wine inventory: 83 bottles of | | | | land that Mazzei selected as "having a southeast |
| rum, 15 bottles of Madeira, four bottles of "Lisbon | | | | aspect and an abundance of lean and meager |
| wine for common use," and 54 bottles of cider, | | | | spots of stony and red soil, without sand, |
| an inventory that would change radically with the | | | | resembling extremely the Côte of Burgundy |
| passage of time. Exactly when Jefferson decided | | | | from Chambertin to Montrachet where the |
| to design and build his own house is not recorded, | | | | famous wines of Burgundy are made." |
| but the first mention of Monticello (which means | | | | What Mazzei and Jefferson talked about on this |
| "little mountain") is noted in his Garden Book on | | | | early-morning stroll was not recorded, but it |
| Aug. 3, 1767. A wine cellar, 17 1/2 feet long, 15 | | | | sparked a lifetime friendship and caused Jefferson |
| feet wide and 10 feet high, was laid out near a | | | | to become a partner in Mazzei's vineyard project, |
| cider room. The 28-year-old Jefferson and a | | | | the first commercial vineyard venture in America. |
| 23-year-old widow, Martha Wales Skelton, were | | | | As Mazzei remembered in his autobiography, "By |
| married on New Year's Day, 1772, at the home | | | | the time we returned home, everyone was up. |
| of her father, John Wayles, and two weeks later | | | | Looking at Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Adams said: 'I see by |
| they arrived at Monticello on horseback in a | | | | your expression that you have taken him away |
| snowstorm. | | | | from me. I knew you would do that.' Jefferson |
| It is perhaps apocryphal but Jefferson's | | | | smiled, and without looking at him, but staring at |
| great-granddaughter, Sarah N. Randolph, reports | | | | the table, said: 'Let's have breakfast first and then |
| that they found a bottle of wine "on a shelf | | | | we'll see what we can do.' " |
| behind some books" that they shared before | | | | Whether on that morning walk or later, Jefferson |
| retiring on their Monticello honeymoon night. It was | | | | learned that Mazzei had grown up in a mountain |
| the first of many bottles that he would enjoy at | | | | village in Tuscany, Italy. As a young man, he |
| home with family and friends. In his account book | | | | studied medicine at the Santa Maria Nuova |
| of Sept. 15, 1772, he records liquors and bottles | | | | Hospital in Florence, but was dismissed for drinking |
| on hand, including "about three gallons of rum and | | | | wine before taking communion on Holy Thursday. |
| a half hogshead [271/2 gallons] Madeira, 72 bottles | | | | Undeterred, he went to Leghorn (now Livorno) |
| of Madeira, 37 bottles of Lisbon wine, 29 bottles | | | | and established a successful medical practice. |
| small beer, 10 bottles of port and 31 bottles of | | | | But ever restless, Mazzei left for Smyrna, |
| miscellaneous in the closet." The year earlier he | | | | Turkey, where he continued the practice of |
| had recorded ten dozen bottles of port, so in the | | | | medicine for two and a half years. Bored with life |
| intervening year, 110 bottles of port had been | | | | in Smyrna and armed with a supply of Turkish |
| consumed. | | | | opium and some other local products, he sailed for |
| In November 1773, Philip Mazzei, one of the most | | | | England in December 1755. In London he sold his |
| interesting men to enter Jefferson's life, landed in | | | | Turkish goods for a sizable profit, rejected offers |
| Virginia from England with his wife-to-be, her | | | | to resume his medical practice and made a living |
| 12-year-old daughter, and ten Italian vignerons. | | | | giving Italian-language lessons to the British gentry. |
| Mazzei arrived with a plan to cultivate European | | | | With the profits from the sale of the Turkish |
| grapes, olive trees and the egg of silk worms to | | | | goods, Mazzei opened a shop specializing in wines, |
| make silk. Traveling with Virginia merchant | | | | silks, olive oils, anchovies, parmesan cheese and |
| Thomas Adams to Adams' home in Augusta | | | | other Italian products that were almost impossible |
| County, where Mazzei expected to establish his | | | | to buy in London. |