Thomas Jefferson, the 4th of July and a bottle of fraudulent wine

When people think of the 4th of July, many envision grilling hot dogs or burgers, while some also think of fireworks. Many people, however, also think of our forefathers and the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence had a very distinct role in our nation’s love for wine.

Unfortunately, some wine-loving individuals, also associate the name Thomas Jefferson, with fraudulent wine. In 1985, the first of the “Jefferson bottles” were purchased at auction and though found to be fraudulent years later. One could argue that Tom’s love for wine essentially kick-started the fraudulent wine industry, or better yet, discovery. Which we will get into.

One could even argue that good ole Tom was our most wine astute wine President ever. But again, why you ask? Well, let’s briefly get into that.

Many know Thomas as the United States’ third President. But, when we first started electing Presidents, the individual who came in second place in Presidential voting became the Vice President. (imagine if we still followed this process today) Therefore, before Thomas was ever President, he was the Vice President to President John Adams, who at one time was friend, then rival, then friend again. But even before his elected positions, he was President George Washington’s Secretary of State and even before that, he was America’s Minister to France. And a las, the commencement of his fascination with French wine.

With his time in France, he discovered wine regions in Bourgogne, Champagne and even Bordeaux. He would routinely order, directly from the winemakers, bottles of renowned Château Lafite and even Château d’Yquem from Bordeaux France. In fact, decades before the 1855 classification of Bordeaux wines even took place, Jefferson already identified as his favorite wines what was later proclaimed France’s “First Growths.” Thomas kept such immaculate wine records; he was found to be ordering cases upon cases for his own and President Washington’s use.

Thomas also would write to his friends proclaiming his love for wine and tout its health benefits even going as far to say that it was “indispensable for my health.”

He would regularly argue how alcohol (meaning wine) should not be taxed because then only the rich could afford to reap the health benefits of a bottle of wine.

Now, given the fact he lived until he was 83 (which was unheard of in that era) maybe there was some truth to his belief.

Records indicate that Thomas Jefferson would spend upwards of $10,000 United States’ Dollars on wine per year, which in today’s terms would equate to almost a quarter of a million dollars annually.

Fraud

The Location? Christie’s in London

The Crime? $157,000 for one bottle that appeared old, dusty and had the word ‘Lafite” and the initials “Th. J.” writing on the bottle.

The buyer? Billionaire William Koch

 (If you want to learn all the ins and the outs of what happened and how it happened, read the book “The Billionaire’s Vinegar”)

Though the auction took place in 1985, the real investigation began in 2005. In 1985, the bottles were “verified” by the head of Christie’s wine department, who, at the time, was regarded as one of the world’s wine experts. However, in 2005, the Koch estate began conducting their own investigation.

And even though Monticello could not themselves verify the bottles via records or even how they were initialed (“Th.J.”) There was enough irregularities in the data to question the bottle’s’ authenticity and therefore justified the hiring of a former MI6 agent to investigate.

During his investigation, ‘James Bond’ subsequently hired a French physicist who proclaimed he had the ability to test the age of wine without needing to open the bottle. This physicist used gamma rays to detect a radioisotope called cesium 137. Cesium 137 is a byproduct of a nuclear fallout has a half-life of 30 years therefore making it quite possible to have an idea of when a wine was produced. That is, if it was produced during or 30 years after a nuclear reaction. When the Jefferson bottles were tested, they did NOT contain any cesium 137. This meant it predated nuclear fallout – therefore stating the wine was made before 1945.

That was a checkmark in the camp stating the wine was possibly authentic.

This British Agent was unconvinced however and continued to investigate. Just because there was no cesium 137, it remained unclear if the bottles were from Thomas Jefferson era or possibly even 1940. All they knew was that it predated the invention of nuclear energy.

The investigator then turned to the engravings on the bottle. It was confirmed by Monticello that Tom did not use the initials Th. J. but these were made in France, so it was possible the initials came from someone else on his behalf. But the investigation was more looking at HOW the engravings were made – aka what tool was used. In Jefferson’s era, a wheel was used to engrave all the bottles. Whereas in modern era, an electric drill is routinely used.

Think of writing on paper with a feather versus a Bic Fine Tip.

What was discovered was that the initials, Th. J. were all smooth and uniform leading investigators to believe this was done with a tool that needed electricity therefore making the bottles, in fact, most likely, fraudulent.

So the “pen” is definitely mightier than the sword because it was the writing tool that took down the fraudulent wine market.

In a completely ironic twist however, the story of the “fake” Thomas Jefferson wines has become so famous and widely known, that these “fake” bottles too have developed their own collector’s value.

 Because the fraudulent wine market became so lucrative; most wineries no longer offer the service to recork your bottle if you fear the cork has aged past its point of usefulness.

What a perfect scam if you think about it. If you purchased an older bottle of wine and you choose to drink it or serve it at a party and you feel it was fraudulent. Well, you just destroyed the evidence, by consuming it.

So, on this 4th of July, think of Tom and have a glass of wine and toast to our country’s most wine-loving President. Interestingly, as involved Thomas Jefferson was in the birth of our country, he also passed away at the age of 83 on, you guessed it, on the 4th of July.

Cheers

“Good wine is a necessity of life for me”

Thomas Jefferson