Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia

Friendship like wine (Quotation)

In an 1811 letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush, Jefferson compared friendship to wine — raw when new but ripened with age — in one of his most eloquent reflections on the value of long-lasting bonds.

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"I find friendship to be like wine, raw when new, ripened with age, the true old man’s milk, & restorative cordial."
- Thomas Jefferson to Dr. Benjamin Rush, August 17, 18111

Footnotes

  1. PTJ:RS, 4:88. Transcription available at Founders Online.