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May 20, 2012 · 4:53 pm

Thomas Jefferson was a Wine Enthusiast: Best Presidential Wine Festivals

Image via Wikipedia

Did you know that President Thomas Jefferson was a Wine Enthusiast? Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743. This polymath was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence (1776), the third President of the United States (1801–1809), founder of the University of Virginia and the father of American viticulture.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 1768, he started construction of his Neo-Palladian Monticello mansion on 5,000 acres. Monticello was his mountaintop home in Virginia with a vista of his his former home of Shadwell. When he was the Minister to France from 1784–1789, he had an opportunity to see some classical European buildings and taste alot of French wine. In 1794, following his service as Secretary of State he began rebuilding Monticello based on the ideas he had acquired in Europe.

Image via Wikipedia

Monticello is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia. An image of the west front of Monticello by Felix Schlag has been featured on the reverse side of the nickel minted sine 1938. Monticello also appeared on the reverse of the two-dollar bill from 1928 to 1966, when the bill was discontinued. The gift shop at Monticello hands out current two-dollar bills with Jefferson’s portrait as change.

Thomas Jefferson portrait on two dollar bill (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Reverse of Series 1953A $2 bill (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Charlottesville, Virginia city hall, detail of facade showing bas relief statues of James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here are some interesting Wine Festivals that honor American History:

Monticello Wine Festival in Charlottesville, Virginina is held in May. Enjoy the Monticello estate and taste Virginia’s best selection of wines. Enjoy the splendor of spring in full bloom as you savor your glass of Virginia wine on the West Lawn just like Jefferson did. Visit the restored vineyards and meet wine-maker Gabriele Rausse. Take tours of Jefferson’s home and listen to live music on the West Lawn. Local wine experts are usually available to answer questions about the region’s finest wines and how they compare to the vintages that Jefferson enjoyed.

Thomas Jefferson’s Wine Festival in Bedford on November 17, 2012. Celebrate Jefferson’s passion for wine! The festival will feature Virginia wineries, artisans and local food purveyors and musical entertainment.

Montpelier, home of fourth US president James Madison, seen in 1975 during the duPont family’s ownership of the property. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

President James Madison served as the second Rector of the University of Virginia until his death in 1836. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Montpelier (home of James Madison) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Montpelier Wine Festival is help in May and showcases 24 premier Virginia wineries on the historic grounds of President James Madison‘s residence. Live music, cooking and wine tasting classes all add to the experience.

President Barack Obama looks at a portrait of President James Madison while waiting in the Blue Room prior to his press conference in the East Room 2/9/09. Français : Le président Barack Obama regardant un portrait du président fr:James Madison alors qu’il attend dans la Blue Room avant une conférence de presse dans lEast Room, 09/02/09. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Washington as Farmer at Mount Vernon”, 1851, part of a series on George Washington by Junius Brutus Stearns. Located at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Black and white photograph of Mount Vernon, home of United States General and President George Washington (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Spring Wine Festival & Sunset Tour at Mount Vernon in Alexandria in May.

Mount Vernon is a Georgian structure that is located near Alexandria Virginia. It was George Washington’s plantation home and is a National Historic Landmark that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The neoclassical structure is located on the banks of the Potomac River.

Mount Vernon, Virginia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mount Vernon has a spring celebration of the history of the Virginia wine industry on the east lawn overlooking the Potomac River. Guests sample wines from award-winning Virginia wineries. You can learn about the successes and failures of our Founding Father’s wine endeavors and enjoy live music. Guests can register for an evening tour of George Washington’s home and are invited to visit the rarely-open basement cellar vaults where he stored his wine.

Washington’s room, Mount Vernon mansion, by N. G. Johnson 5 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wounded soldiers being tended in the field after the Battle of Chancellorsville near Fredericksburg, Va. 111-B-349. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fredericksburg Area Wine Festival – Fredericksburg, October 6-7, 2012 Eight Virginia wineries have samples of their wines, as well as microbrews from Blue and Gray Micro Brewery! Food concessions, local crafters and artisans, live music, and Aubrey Treakle’s Barrel Train for the kids. Free admission to retired and active military with ID.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides @ www.vino-con-vista.com

Taste Washington 2012: A Food and Wine Festival in Seattle (vinoconvistablog.me)
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (vinoconvistablog.me)
Top Eight Decisions That Changed the Us (pastparallelpaths.wordpress.com)
The Mount Vernon Spring Wine Festival 2012 in Virginia (vinoconvistablog.com)
Jefferson…Meet the Wine Bloggers, Wine Bloggers…Meet Jefferson (fermentation.typepad.com)

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Tagged as Elizabeth River, Farmville Wine Festival, George Washington, James Madison, Jefferson, Lake Anna, Monticello, National Historic Landmark, Smithfield Wine & Brew Fest, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson was a Wine Enthusiast: Presidential Wine Festivals, United States Declaration of Independence, University of Virginia, Virginia, Virginia wine

· 11:34 am

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Portrait of Thomas Jefferson, founder of the University of Virginia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) was a polymath: America’s “first distinguished viticulturist,” an architect, author of the American Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States. Thomas Jefferson was a talented architect of neo-classical buildings and he designed his Virginia plantation home, Monticello (Little Mountain) as well as the buildings on the campus of the University of Virginia. Construction of Monticello began in 1769. Jefferson was inspired by classical European architecture. The 43-room mansion has 13 skylights.

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson writing the Declaration of independence (1776) were all of British descent. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Monticello is situated on the summit of an 850-foot peak in the Southwest Mountains that run parallel to the Blue Ridge Mountains. In 1987, Monticello and the nearby University of Virginia, also designed by Jefferson, were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Monticello from the west lawn. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jefferson was inspired by the principles of the Venetian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio who was active in the Republic of Venice. Monticello is a relection of Palladian proportions on the pedimented portico. Jeffersonian Architecture is an American form of Neo-Palladianism that was very popular between 1790 and 1830 in America.

Architect Andrea Palladio (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Andrea di Pietro (1508-1580) was known as Palladio. Palladio was influenced primarily by Vitruvian design principles; symmetry, perspective and values of the formal classical temple architecture of the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

Palladio was a stone mason’s apprentice who became the most influential architect of his generation. Palladio’s urban dwellings and villas are scattered throughout the Venato. His Palladian architectural principles gained world-wide prominence in the 18^th century.

A villa with a superimposed portico, from Book IV of Palladio’s I Quattro Libri dell’Architettura, in a modestly priced English translation published in London, 1736. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Statue of Palladio in Vicenza (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Palladian Villa is characterized by pillared porticos and arches. Unfortunately, fourteen of his villas were destroyed by World War II bombs. The city of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

American Palladianism: The Rotunda at the University of Virginia, designed in the Palladian manner by Thomas Jefferson. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For over 40 years, Monticello was designed and redesigned, built and rebuilt. Thomas Jefferson is buried on the grounds and this area is designated as the Monticello Cemetery.

Jefferson’s tomb at Monticello (Photo credit: Chris Devers)

Monticello (Photo credit: willandbeyond)

At one time, Jefferson’s plantation included “quarters for domestic slaves along Mulberry Row near the house; gardens for flowers, produce and Jefferson’s experiments in plant breeding, plus tobacco fields and mixed crops. Cabins for field slaves were located further from the mansion.”

Il Pantheon di sera (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Comparison of the ground plans of the Pantheon in Rome (left) and Thomas Jefferson’s Rotunda of the University of Virginia (middle: ground floor, right: dome room). The plan of the Pantheon is the one by Andrea Palladio in its reprint by Giocomo Leoni—i.e. the plan that Thomas Jefferson had access to while designing the Rotunda. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Monticello and the key buildings of the University of Virginia are directly related to American Palladianism using principles from classical architecture. The similarities between the Pantheon in Rome and the Rotunda of the University of Virginia are apparent when the photos ante pictured next to each other. Jefferson’s rotunda houses the library.

Thomas Jefferson’s design of the “Rotunda”, the library at the heart of the University of Virginia. “South Elevation of the Rotunda, begun 1818, completed March 29, 1819. Ink and pencil drawing.” (according to Library of Congress) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Statue of Thomas Jefferson at the Monticello Visitors Center. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thomas Jefferson was a wine enthusiast and he had two vineyards at

Monticello & Gabriele Rausse – Charlottesville, VA Photo by Amy C Evans, SFA oral historian. A fence is being used as trellising. June 2008 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Monticello. However, “the successful cultivation of Vitis vinifera, the classic European wine species, was virtually impossible until the development of modern pesticides controlled such destructive pests as black rot and phyloxera, an aphid-like root louse.”

Monticello & Gabriele Rausse – Charlottesville, VA Photo by Amy C Evans, SFA oral historian June 2008 Individually numbered wine bottles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“The Southwest Vineyard was replanted in 1993 entirely with the Sangiovese grape, a variety documented by Jefferson in 1807 and the principal ingredient of Chianti in Tuscany. There is an annual Wine Festival at Monticello in May. Several vintages have been made with harvests from this vineyard which are sold from the Monticello Museum Shops. Gabriele Rausse, one of the founders of the modern Virginia grape industry, oversees the production of wine as well as the care of the restored vineyards, which continue to serve as experimental gardens of unusual varieties of vinifera.”