Thomas Jefferson had a deep interest in wine and was known for his efforts to promote viticulture in Virginia and the United States. To that end, he convinced Italian vintner Philip Mazzei to settle in Albemarle County in late 1773 and induced him to do so by giving him a 193-acre tract of land where Mazzei planted a vineyard. Jefferson was also a shareholder in Mazzei’s Wine Company, the first commercial wine company in the United States.
While neither man fully realized their aspiration of a viable wine enterprise, their partnership planted the seeds of what has become a thriving wine industry in Virginia.
More than 200 years later, their vision became a reality at Jefferson Vineyards. Owned today by Monticello, Jefferson Vineyards offers award-winning wines and stunning mountain views.
At this year's Virginia Governor's Cup competition, Jefferson Vineyard wines took two of the twelve spots in the Governor's Cup Case. The 2019 Meritage and 2021 Petit Manseng won gold medals while two other gold medals went to our 2019 Petit Verdot Reserve “Upper Vineyard” and 2019 Petit Verdot Reserve.
Thomas Jefferson's friend Philip Mazzei, a Florentine merchant and horticulturalist, experimented with a vineyard on the site of Jefferson Vineyards starting in 1773. Mazzei's endeavor proved unsuccessful. Yet 250 years later, Jefferson's vision of successful wine production in Virginia is embodied at Jefferson Vineyards.