October
is Virginia’s Wine Month, but any time of year is worth visiting Virginia
wineries, all of which offer stunning views and a wide range of wines, not to
mention what they are known for best…the fine art of Virginia hospitality!
With
all we know about Thomas Jefferson, I marvel at how he even found time to
involve himself with establishing Virginia’s first-known vineyard! Is there no
end to his legacy? As history reports to us, Thomas Jefferson and Filippo
Mazzei, Italian physician and later wine importer/exporter, developed a
fruitful commercial partnership and a friendship that lasted 40 years. You can
read the entire story in Appendix VII of my book, Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man.
Here
is a synopsis: Filippo Mazzei was born on December 25, 1730, in Poggio a
Caiano, in the Province of Prato, the Tuscany region of Italy. He
studied medicine in Florence, practicing in Italy and the Middle East for
several years before moving to London to take up a career as a wine merchant,
in 1754. While working in London, Mazzei met and befriended Benjamin Franklin
and Thomas Adams, and spoke to them about his idea of importing Tuscan wine and
olive trees to the New World. Franklin and Adams persuaded Mazzei to establish
a plantation for the production of silk, olives, and vineyards in Virginia, and
then both became his sponsor to do just that.
Mazzei
enthusiastically left for Virginia on September 2, 1773, with ten Tuscan
farmers, a full load of cuttings, seeds, tools, silkworms, a tailor, and ten grape
farmers. Arriving in Williamsburg in November, Thomas Adams
introduced Mazzei to Thomas Jefferson, who shared his extensive knowledge of
Italian wines, cheeses, olive trees, and agricultural
experimentation. In hopes of one day realizing the promise of fine
Virginia wines, Jefferson invited Mazzei to visit Monticello during
Mazzei’s travels through Albemarle County, and together they toured Jefferson’s
hilltop. As a deep friendship formed, Jefferson invited Mazzei to become a
neighbor, and persuaded him to establish a vineyard on a parcel of his land
below Monticello, which Mazzei called “Colle” (Italian for “hill”). Jefferson
brokered the sale of his land to Mazzei, who then summoned his imported
laborers from Williamsburg. After Mazzei announced his proposal to form a
partnership with Jefferson for the commercial production of wine, he had no
trouble finding subscribers. Thomas Jefferson induced his friends
and neighbors to invest in the Wine Company and procured their subscriptions.
The
first plantings of the European vinifera varieties were established in the
early spring of 1774. In May, the project failed when a severe frost ruined the
vines. Although Mazzei still believed that Virginia’s soil was “better
calculated” for wine production than any other area, the project did not
continue.
The
site of Filippo Mazzei’s home, “Colle” still stands, built in 1774 by
Jefferson’s workers who were also engaged in building Monticello. It was
recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1928, with a state historical
marker. Today, “Colle” is part of the Jefferson Vineyards estate, one of the
more established wineries and vineyards in Virginia. The persistence of
generations of winemakers is paying off, and the vision of one of Virginia’s
most renowned native sons, Thomas Jefferson, is now coming true. Wines from the
Commonwealth are winning national and international recognition for their
elegant qualities.
Thomas Jefferson-From Boy to Man, by Jayne D'Alessandro-Cox is:
Available in paperback, Kindle, and mp3 audio download through Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Thomas-Jefferson-Jayne-DAlessandro-Cox/dp/1543052290/ref=dp_ob_image_bk
The 5-disc audio book set can be ordered directly from author. Visit web site Contact tab:
www.jaynedalessandrocox.com/contact
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