“163 Bottles of old Madeira Wine”: I am waist deep in research

You have probably noticed my haphazard posting as of late.  While I never slack on generating tasting notes, my usually posting time is now largely dedicated to research.  One area I am curious about is General George Washington’s Madeira purchases during the Revolutionary War.  When George Washington was home at Mount Vernon he usually purchased his Madeira by the pipe.  But during the war, when he was at headquarters, he typically purchased his Madeira by the bottle.

Receipt for Madeira purchase. Thomas Mifflin to Caleb Gibbs, October 18, 1776. [1]

To be specific, General Washington’s aide de camp, Captain Caleb Gibbs, Captain Commandant of the Guard, purchased his Madeira.  It is fortunate for us is that Captain Gibbs kept all of his receipts.  On October 18, 1776, some 240 years ago to this day, Captain Gibbs purchased 163 bottles of “old Madeira wine” for $163 from Levinus Clarkson.

Levinus Clarkson was a merchant in Charleston, South California.  He had Dutch connections with whom he traded with during the war.  From his correspondence we can see that he imported Madeira, amongst other goods, then forwarded the wine up to his business partner David Van Horne in New York.  Levinus Clarkson would eventually become a Continental Agent in Charleston where he traded.  Appointed during the fall of 1776 he was responsible “to supply any of the Ships or Cruizers with whatever Provisions, Stores or necessarys they may be in want of when they put into or arrive in any of your ports”.  Congress told him he was “in short do all things in this department that you think will serve the Continent and promote the service of the Navy”.  Clearly this included supplying the Commander of the Continental Army with old Madeira.

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[1] Thomas Mifflin to Caleb Gibbs, October 18, 1776, Revolutionary War Accounts, Vouchers, and Receipted Accounts 1. George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799: Series 5 Financial Papers. URL: https://memory.loc.gov/mss/mgw/mgw5/117/0600/0661.jpg

“Thanks for the genteel present”: John Adam’s receipt of two cases of Constantia wine in 1788

The rare Constantia wines of the Cape of Good Hope in what is now South Africa were historically held in such high regard that it seems incredible there is no record of Thomas Jefferson having purchased, let alone tasted these wines.  Apparently there have been enough claims to the contrary that the Constantia Wine entry at Monticello states the researchers are “unable to find any documentary evidence that Thomas Jefferson purchased or consumed Constantia wines or ‘vins du Constance.’”   Contemporary research into the history of Constantia wine is being passionately pursued by Joanne Gibson (Winewriter).  She noted in The World of Fine Wine Magazine that she searched “(in vain) for evidence that US founding father and noted wine connoisseur Thomas Jefferson ever drank Constantia”.[1]

Location of Constantia farms from the map City of Cape Town and environs. 1931. The William and Yvonne Jacobson Digital Africana Program at UCT.

I too have, admittedly, spent much time searching for this connection to no avail.  We do know through newspaper advertisements that Constantia wine was sold in America as early as 1750.[2]  The wine was periodically advertised for sale over the years even in such close locations to Washington, DC, as Baltimore, Maryland in 1805.[3]   While this suggests that there was some knowledge of the wine in America it does not reveal who drank the wine.  For that we must look beyond Thomas Jefferson.  Fortunately, there are other Founding Fathers who loved and drank amongst the best wines.  I first revealed on this blog how George Washington received a case of Constantia wine while encamped at Valley Forge in 1778.[4]  I also demonstrated that John Adams drank Constantia wine at a fabulous dinner in Spain during 1779.[5]

It turns out that John Adams received a shipment of Constantia wine upon his return to America in 1788.  His return marked the end of several years living in Europe as ambassador to the Dutch Republic and minister to the Court of St. James’s.    On August 21, 1788, Nicolaas and Jacob van Staphorst of Amsterdam sent a letter to John Adams informing him that they had shipped two cases to him, one case “containing Two Dozen Bottles Constantia Wine”.[6]  John Adams worked with the van Staphorst brothers, who were Dutch bankers, to arrange a series of loans to the United States.  The wine represented a token of their “Remembrance and Esteem.”  That the brothers were able to procure such a quantity of Constantia wine makes sense because at the time the Dutch East India Company had rights to purchase and bring up casks of Constantia from the farms of Hendrick Cloete and Johannes Colyn.

The van Staphorst letter states there was an “inclosed Bill of Lading” but this does not appear to have survived.[7]  This is unfortunate because these bills can hold important facts such as vintage and producer.  Despite the lack of any documentation tracking the shipment of this wine we do know that the bottles were received by John Adams.  On December 2, 1788, he wrote back from Boston with “my Thanks for the genteel present contained in two Cases”.[8]

I can find no further documentation about this case of wine during this period even in the handful of John Adams’ letters with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.  It does appear that knowledge about Constantia wine is broader than generally held before.  There is no documentary evidence that James Madison drank Constantia wine but he is recorded as recounting in 1816 a witticism of Theodore A. Erskine.  In this case a “Cape wine” served in a small bottle, meaning Constantia, was promptly emptied and with no hope for more, it was stated “‘Well, sir, if we cannot double the cape, we must get into port.’”[9]

Extract of letter from Thomas Jefferson to Albert Gallatin, June 01, 1807. [10]

It seems odd then that if George Washington and John Adams had bottles of Constantia and James Madison was at least aware of it that Thomas Jefferson appears silent.  I do not think this is necessarily true.  It is frequently cited that Thomas Jefferson classified wines of the “Cape” as the most expensive alongside Tokay, Malmsey, and Hock in a letter regarding wine tariffs dated June 1, 1807.[10] The high cost per gallon implies he was describing the extraordinary Constantia wine.  Based on two letters we know that John Adams equated “Vin de Cap” with Constantia wine.  Thomas Jefferson used such a term in two letters dated May 26, 1819. In these letters he described the different qualities of wine placing “Vin du Cap” under the category “1. sweet wines”.[11]  Given that Constantia was a sweet wine, I believe this increases the possibility that this is the wine Thomas Jefferson was describing.

Extract of letter from Thomas Jefferson to Stephen Catalan Jr., May 26, 1819. [11]

Regardless of which Cape wines Thomas Jefferson was referring to, it appears he did not succeed in adding these wines to the tariff list.  Neither appears next to Malmsey nor Tokay in an 1814 list of duties for “Wines in casks, bottles, or other vessels” imported into America.[12]  This perhaps speaks to the general rarity of these wines landing on American shores.  Though the mystery between Thomas Jefferson and Constantia wine still stands, I find it very exciting that John Adams received two cases of it.  It not only shows the high regard for the wine amongst the Founding Fathers, it also demonstrates how the history of wine may evolve due to the continued development of digital archives.

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[1] Gibson, Joanne. “The Cape Grape and the Beginnings of American Viticulture”.  The World of Fine Wine. Issue 42, 2013.
[2] ““curious white Constantia Cape Wine”: The Advertisement of Constantia Wine Through 1795” URL: https://hogsheadwine.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/curious-white-constantia-cape-wine-the-advertisement-of-constantia-wine-through-1795/
[3] Date: Monday, December 16, 1805               Paper: American and Commercial Daily Advertiser (Baltimore, MD)   Volume: XI   Issue: 2067   Page: 3
[4] “General George Washington’s Curious Case of Constantia Wine”. URL: https://hogsheadwine.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/general-george-washingtons-curious-case-of-constantia-wine/
[5] “John Adams Drank Constantia Wine in Spain”. URL: https://hogsheadwine.wordpress.com/2014/03/14/john-adams-drank-constantia-wine-in-spain/
[6] “To John Adams from Nicolaas Van Staphorst, 21 August 1788,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-0413 [last update: 2014-12-01]). Source: this is an Early Access document from The Adams Papers. It is not an authoritative final version.
[7] Private correspondence with Andrea Cronin, Asst. Reference Librarian, Massachusetts Historical Society.
[8] “From John Adams to Nicolaas Van Staphorst, 2 December 1788,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-0440 [last update: 2014-12-01]). Source: this is an Early Access document from The Adams Papers. It is not an authoritative final version.
[9] A Frenchman Visits Norfolk, Fredericksburg and Orange County, 1816 Author(s): L. G. Moffatt, J. M. Carrière and J. G. Moffatt Source: The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 53, No. 3 (Jul., 1945), pp. 197-214. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4245357 .
[10] “From Thomas Jefferson to Albert Gallatin, 1 June 1807,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-5674 [last update: 2014-12-01]). Source: this is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. It is not an authoritative final version.
[11] “From Thomas Jefferson to Stephen Cathalan, Jr., 26 May 1819,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/98-01-02-0434 [last update: 2014-12-01]). Source: this is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series. It is not an authoritative final version.  And “From Thomas Jefferson to Victor Adolphus Sasserno, 26 May 1819,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/98-01-02-0437 [last update: 2014-12-01]). Source: this is an Early Access document from The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series. It is not an authoritative final version.
[12] Brice, John. A selection of all the laws of the United States, now in force, relative to commercial subjects. 1814. URL: https://books.google.com/books?id=WjNKAAAAMAAJ&pg=PR1#v=onepage&q&f=false

“One would think there was not Earth enough for the Vines to take root.” John Adam’s Observation on the Vineyards of Angoulème

1893. Angoulème, plan indicateur, mis à jour / par A. Peraqui ; dessiné par A. Néermann. Gallica Bibliotheque Numerique.

John Adams only wrote a few entries about wine and vineyards during his time in Europe.  These few entries have proved important for we know that John Adams Drank Constantia Wine in Spain.  I have particularly enjoyed his entry from February 5, 1780, where he describes the vineyards of Angoulème in the second to last paragraph.  In one sentence he clearly conveys the poverty of the soils.  He then compares the surrounding land to that of Spain and again, in one sentence, captures both action and consequence.

1780 Feb. 5. Saturday.

On Wednesday, the second of Feb. We took Post for Paris, and on Fryday the 4 arrived at Coué, where We lodged, but in the night it rained and froze at the same time untill the Roads were a glare [of] Ice, so that the Postillions informed Us, it was impossible for their Horses which in this Country are never frosted to go.
We passed by Angouleme Yesterday Morning and encircled almost the whole Town. It stands upon an high Hill and is walled all round— a fine, Airy, healthy Situation with several Streams of Water below it and fine Interval Lands. The River Charente runs by it. The Lands are chiefly cultivated with Wines from Bordeaux to this Place, which afford but a poor Prospect in the Winter. In some Places Wheat is sown and Vines planted alternately in Ridges.
Great Numbers of the Vineyards are in a Soil that has the greatest Appearance of Poverty. It is a red Loom, intermixed with so many Pebbles or small Stones of a reddish Colour, that it looks like an heap of Stones, or a dry gravell. One would think there was not Earth enough for the Vines to take root.
Other Vineyards are in a black Sand intermixed with a few small stones. Others in fine, black, fat, mellow mould.
The numerous Groves, Parks and Forrests in this Country form a striking Contrast with Spain where the whole Country looks like a Mans face that is newly shaved, Every Tree, bush and shrub being pared away.

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[1] “[February 1780],” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/01-02-02-0010-0002, ver. 2014-05-09). Source: The Adams Papers, Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, vol. 2, 1771–1781, ed. L. H. Butterfield. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961, pp. 433–435.

“I am in great distress for want of it, having none”: John Adam’s Inquiries about Bordeaux Wines Prior to Thomas Jefferson’s Classification of 1787

In a curious way, my current research which began with Thomas Jefferson and led to James Madison has circled back again to Thomas Jefferson.  In looking at original scanned bills of lading for descriptions of bottle and case marks I eventually ended up reading Thomas Jefferson’s famous Bordeaux Classification of 1787.  This was after I read John Adam’s earlier inquiries into the growths of Bordeaux.  I find the history of wine is rich in subjects worthy of further exploration and the origins of Thomas Jefferson’s classification is one of them.  Be wary of any wine writer or blogger who states they have writer’s block.  With natural curiosity and intrepidness one should accumulate an ever increasing list of subjects to write about.  One should simply be handicapped by a lack of time.

Dept. De La Gironde. Levasseur, Victor. 1856. David Rumsey Map Collection.

Almost one decade prior to Thomas Jefferson’s May 1787 tour of Bordeaux, John Adams met the negocient J. C. Champagne at Blaye on April 1, 1778.[1]  He informed John Adams that “of the first Grouths of Wine, in the Province of Guienne, there are four Sorts, Chateau Margeaux, Hautbrion, La Fitte, and Latour.”  Later that day John Adams took tea and went for a walk with John Bondfield the American Commercial Agent at Bordeaux.  Almost two years later in April 1780, John Adams wrote from Paris to John Bondfield that he had “Occasion for a Cask of Bordeaux Wine, of the very best Quality”. [2]  In this letter he enquired as to “a list of the various Sorts of Bordeaux Wines, their Names, Qualities, and Prices”.  It appears that John Adams perhaps forgot his previous conversation and was unaware of Sir Edward Barry’s Observations, historical, critical, and medical, on the wines of the ancients (1775).  In this book Sir Edward Barry considered the “principal growths” to be “the Pontac Wines, Haut Brion, Chatteau Margouze, Lafitte, Latour, &c.”[3]  John Adams’ questions were also proposed to Bordeaux merchant B. de Cabarrus Jeune and William Vernon Jr.  It is possible his enquiries were related to his “Honor to be a Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States of America”.[4]  Perhaps John Adams wanted to celebrate his appointment.

The response from William Vernon Jr. has not been found.  Of the other two, the letter from B. de Cabarrus Jeune was received first on April 8, 1780.[5]  Of the “old wines of Medoc” he listed “Haut Brion, St. Julien, or Chateau Margaux” and that they were drinkable “only after 4,5, or 6 years.  He noted but did not specify that there were “some growths” which were less known but provided “excellent wines.” John Bondfield used terminology in his list which Thomas Jefferson would echo later, the “most esteemed for private Use of the first second and third qualities”.[6]  His list in the letter appears to be broken down by price into four groups, three red and one white.  Thus the most expensive red was “Vin de Segeur ou lafit” which sold at 2000 livres per Ton.  The second most expensive included “Chatteau Magot”, “St. Julien”, and “Cannon” which sold from 800-1200 livres per Ton.  The third most expensive included “Medoc comprehending various qualities” from 400-800 livres per Ton.  The sole grouping of “Vin Blanc” included “de Bersac” and “de La Grave” at 360-400 livres per Ton.

For Sale. September 1, 1785. [9]

These particular Bordeaux wines were available in America and advertisements of this period appear to link the idea of specific names to tiered quality or growths.  Alexander Gillon’s advertisement in Charleston, South Carolina on June 21, 1783, lists “Claret…of the favourite qualities of Haut Brion, de Grave and Julian”.[7]  These wines were shipped by a Bordeaux gentleman whose house shipped “none but wines of the first quality.”  Messrs. Willing, Morris & Swanwick of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania advertised “Of the first Growth” consisting of a few dozen bottles of unnamed 1777 “Bordeaux CLARET”.[8]  Cornelius Ray of New York City linked his advertisement “of the best Bordeaux Claret” to the specific “first growths of Haut-Brion and Latour” on September 1, 1785.[9]  Cornelius Ray does not specify which ship imported his claret but later that month Thompson & Lennox, also of New York, imported claret on the brig Friendship.[10]  They had bottles of “Claret de Segur, Hauthbrion, Margaux, and Medoc” which was “warranted of the first quality.”  By April 13, 1792, one could buy “French claret of the second growth” in Charleston, South Carolina.[11]

The wine related correspondence of Thomas Jefferson is peppered with exchanges involving John Bondfield.  On April 19, 1785, John Bondfield wrote to Thomas Jefferson that he had forwarded “four Cases containing thirty six Bottles each of our first Growth”.[12]  I do not yet know what these four first-growths were but I have enquired with the Library at the Massachusetts Historical Society for scans of the original invoices and bill of lading.  I would normally wait for such correspondence but this is post is a quick exploration of an idea.  Regardless, John Bondfield was maintaining his own three-tiered classification of the growths of Bordeaux and after sharing part of it with John Adams he did so with Thomas Jefferson.

Bordeaux. Chapman and Hall, London. 1832. David Rumsey Map Collection.

Two years later Thomas Jefferson famously noted on his tour of Bordeaux during May 24-28, 1787, that there were “4. Vineyards of first quality”.[13]  These included “Chateau Margau”, “La Tour de scur”, “Hautbrion”, and “Chateau de la Fite”.   The order is different in his April 23, 1788, “Memorandum On Wine” where he lists “1 Chateau-Margau”, “2 la Tour de Segur”, “3.Hautbrion”, and “4. De la Fite”.[14]  This order is preserved in his February 20, 1793, “Memorandum to Henry Sheaff”.[15]  Thomas Jefferson famously enjoyed these wines for he began to place orders through John Bondfield such as that of February 22, 1788, where he requested “250. Bottles of his wine de la Fite of 1784”.[16]  This vintage was no longer available and with the 1786 not yet ready, John Bondfield recommended “Vins d’hautbrion” being next in quality.[17]  Chateau Haut-Brion does not appear in John Bondfield’s 1780 list so perhaps his rankings had changed.  Thomas Jefferson clearly documented his classification of the wines of Bordeaux.  I cannot help but wonder whether the inquiries of John Adams or the opinions of John Bondfield were in his thoughts as he walked amongst the “celebrated vineyards”.

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[1] “1778 April 1. Wednesday.,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/01-02-02-0008-0003-0001, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Adams Papers, Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, vol. 2, 1771–1781, ed. L. H. Butterfield. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961, pp. 293–294.  URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/01-02-02-0008-0003-0001
[2] “From John Adams to John Bondfield, 2 April 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-09-02-0075, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 9, March 1780 – July 1780, ed. Gregg L. Lint and Richard Alan Ryerson. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996, pp. 103–104. URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-09-02-0075
[3] Barry, Edward. Observations, historical, critical, and medical, on the wines of the ancients. 1775. URL: http://books.google.com/books?id=yTlKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR1#v=onepage&q&f=false
[4] “From John Adams to John Bondfield, 2 April 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-09-02-0074, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 9, March 1780 – July 1780, ed. Gregg L. Lint and Richard Alan Ryerson. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996, pp. 102–103.  URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-09-02-0074
[5] “B. de Cabarrus Jeune to John Adams: A Translation, 8 April 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-09-02-0089-0002, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 9, March 1780 – July 1780, ed. Gregg L. Lint and Richard Alan Ryerson. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996, pp. 117–119.  URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-09-02-0089-0002
[6] “To John Adams from John Bondfield, 12 April 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-09-02-0096, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 9, March 1780 – July 1780, ed. Gregg L. Lint and Richard Alan Ryerson. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996, pp. 127–129. URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-09-02-0096
[7] Date: Saturday, June 21, 1783         Paper: South-Carolina Weekly Gazette (Charleston, SC)   Volume: I   Issue: 19   Page: 4
[8] Date: Saturday, September 18, 1784             Paper: Pennsylvania Packet (Philadelphia, PA)   Volume: XIII   Issue: 1754   Page: 3
[9] Date: Thursday, September 1, 1785               Paper: New-York Packet (New York, NY)   Issue: 520   Page: 3
[10] Date: Monday, September 26, 1785             Paper: Charleston Evening Gazette (Charleston, SC)   Volume: I   Issue: 67   Page: 3
[11] Date: Friday, April 13, 1792            Paper: City Gazette (Charleston, SC)   Volume: X   Issue: 1861   Page: 2
[12] “To Thomas Jefferson from John Bondfield, 19 April 1785,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-08-02-0060, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 8, 25 February–31 October 1785, ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1953, pp. 93–95.  URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-08-02-0060
[13] “Notes of a Tour into the Southern Parts of France, &c., 3 March–10 June 1787,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-11-02-0389, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 11, 1 January–6 August 1787, ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1955, pp. 415–464.  URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-11-02-0389
[14] “Memorandum on Wine, [after 23 April 1788],” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-27-02-0701, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 27, 1 September–31 December 1793, ed. John Catanzariti. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997, pp. 761–763.  URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-27-02-0701
[15] “Memorandum to Henry Sheaff, [after 20 February 1793],” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-27-02-0799, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 27, 1 September–31 December 1793, ed. John Catanzariti. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997, pp. 842–845. URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-27-02-0799
[16] “From Thomas Jefferson to John Bondfield, 22 February 1788,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-12-02-0659, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 12, 7 August 1787 – 31 March 1788, ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1955, p. 616.  URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-12-02-0659
[17] “To Thomas Jefferson from John Bondfield, 19 April 1788,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-13-02-0019, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 13, March–7 October 1788, ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1956, p. 96. URL: http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-13-02-0019

John Adams Drank Constantia Wine in Spain

A New Map of Spain and Portugal. John Cary. 1801. David Rumsey Map Collection.

In December 1779, John Adams set off through Spain.  By his accounts, his dinner with Monsieur De Tournell on Sunday, December 19, 1779, featured “the greatest Profusion and Variety of Wines I ever saw brought to any table.”[1]  He continues, ” In Addition to the Wines of France, Bourdeaux, Champaigne, Burgundy, We had Constantin and all the best Wines of Spain red and white. The names and qualities of all of them were given Us, but I remember only the Sherry, Alicanté and Navarre.”  From a second portion of his diary the wines were described as, “We had every Luxury, but the Wines were Bourdeaux, Champagne, Burgundy, Sherry, Alicante, Navarre, and Vin de Cap. The most delicious in the World.”[2]  In the previous, more detailed diary entry, he notes ,”The Spanish and Irish Gentlemen” complemented the Consul “on the Excellence of his Wines which they pronounced the oldest and best they had ever seen.”  The Chief Justice and Attorney General were pleased by the, “rich and rare Selection of Spanish Wines”.

Detail showing John Adams on left. Declaration of Independance. John Trumbull. 1817. Image from Wikipedia.

In the two entries by John Adams he appears to equate “Constantin” with “Vin de Cap” and potentially qualifying it with “The most delicious in the World.”  It is possible that John Adams drank Constantia wine.  In reviewing John Adams’ actual diary entry I believe he wrote “Constantia” and not “Constantin”.  I am not an expert in his handwriting but there appears to be a little curlicue on the last letter indicative of the letter “a”.[3]  Despite transcription differences there are other period publications relating the wines of Constantia with Vin de Cap which reinforce that he drank Constantia wine.  In Carl Peter Thunberg’s Resa uti Europa, Africa, Asia, förrättad åren 1770-1779 he writes of the two farms Great and Little Constantia, “is celebrated for its highly delicious wine, known by the name of Constantia wine or Vin de Cap“.[4]  Two other publications relating these two descriptions include “Constantia, situee derriere la montagne de la Table, est le vin de Cap par excellence”.[5]  As well as a letter from J.H.F. Oldecop to Prince Alexandre Kourakin dated February 18, 1773, he writes of “du veritable vin de Cap, nomme Constantia”.[6]

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[1] “[1779 December 19. Sunday.] ,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/01-04-02-0002-0018, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Adams Papers, Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, vol. 4, Autobiography, Parts Two and Three, 1777–1780, ed. L. H. Butterfield. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961, pp. 209–211.
[2]“1779 December 19. Sunday.,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/01-02-02-0009-0008-0012, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Adams Papers, Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, vol. 2, 1771–1781, ed. L. H. Butterfield. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1961, pp. 413–414.
[3] John Adams autobiography, part 3, “Peace,” 1779-1780, sheet 9 of 18, 19 – 24 December 1779.  URL: http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/popup?id=A3_9&page=A3_9_1
[4] For the origin see Thunberg, Carl Peter. Resa uti Europa, Africa, Asia, förrättad åren 1770-1779. 1788. URL: http://books.google.com/books?id=uYwBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP9#v=onepage&q&f=false and for the English translation please see Travels at the Cape of Good Hope, 1772-1775: Based on the English Edition. 1986. URL: http://books.google.com/books?id=ocliNOUc20oC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false.
[5] Nouvel esprit des journaux français et étrangers. 1793. URL: http://books.google.com/books?id=Jb0UAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false
[6] Архив Кн. Ө.А. Куракина, Volumes 7-8. 1898. URL: http://books.google.com/books?id=jeUDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

“The wine mentioned…is on the ground floor of the Capitol” in Virginia

Richmond, Va. Front view of Capitol. April-June 1865. Call No. LC-B811- 3360. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

On the morning of March 8, 1803, James Monroe noted in his letter to James Madison that he was to embark New York for Europe within an hour.[1]  James Monroe included with the letter a two-page list of items he left behind from which James Madison could pick what he wanted to purchase.  On April 9, 1803, Samuel Coleman wrote from Richmond to James Madison that he had finally weighed and repacked James Monroe’s plate, glassware, and porcelain for transport to Washington, DC.[2]  He noted that the plate was in the Treasury and “the other articles <are in?> my office in the Capitol.”  Samuel Coleman was Assistant Clerk to the Council of Virginia and worked with James Monroe when he was Governor of Virginia.[3]    The articles in Samuel Coleman’s office apparently included James Monroe’s wine of which James Madison had suggested how to dispose of them.[4]  While it seems natural for Samuel Coleman to work in the Capitol it came as a surprise to me that he would store wine there.

Samuel Coleman wrote later that month that of the six boxes of wine the “quality is excellent”.[5]  One box was to be a present for James Brown.  The remaining five boxes could be sent to Washington, DC, or sold.  However, Samuel Coleman felt “my information is so limited that I am really much at a loss what to do with it.”  Fearing that he could not sell the wine to the satisfaction of James Madison he kept them, ” in one of the lower rooms of the Capitol, well calculated to preserve it.”  The wine remained in the Virginia Capitol into the summer.  On June 27, 1803, Samuel Coleman wrote James Madison that, “The wine mentioned in the first is on the ground floor of the Capitol and of course in as cool a situation as can be procured for it.”[6]  Perhaps Samuel Coleman did not have his own wine cellar so the thick stone walls of the Capitol were the best defense against the Virginia heat.  There was no subterranean basement so the ground floor offices would have been the coolest location.

Virginia State Capitol, Bank and 10th Streets, Capitol Square, Richmond, Independent City, VA. Call No. HABS VA,44-RICH,9-. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

What types of wine were in James Monroe’s six cases is not yet known.  The only documentation of the most prior wine order concerns some 22 or 23 dozen bottles of Madeira from late 1800.[7] Samuel Coleman wrote on June 27, 1803, that he had been unable to transport the wine to Georgetown nor had he been able to dispose of it in Richmond.  It appears that he eventually disposed of the wine for his letter to James Madison on October 26, 1803, makes no reference to the wine.[8]  It appears the wine never made it to James Madison for his correspondence for the rest of the year mostly concerns several dozen bottles of Bordeaux [9] and a pipe of Brazil Madeira wine.[10]  What happened to James Monroe’s six cases of wine and what those cases contained remains a mystery!

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[1] “To James Madison from James Monroe, 7 March 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-04-02-0469, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of James Madison, Secretary of State Series, vol. 4, 8 October 1802 – 15 May 1803, ed. Mary A. Hackett, J. C. A. Stagg, Jeanne Kerr Cross, Susan Holbrook Perdue, and Ellen J. Barber. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1998, pp. 395–397.
[2]“To James Madison from Samuel Coleman, 9 April 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-04-02-0600, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of James Madison, Secretary of State Series, vol. 4, 8 October 1802 – 15 May 1803, ed. Mary A. Hackett, J. C. A. Stagg, Jeanne Kerr Cross, Susan Holbrook Perdue, and Ellen J. Barber. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1998, pp. 496–497.
[3]“To James Madison from Samuel Coleman, 26 October 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-05-02-0584, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of James Madison, Secretary of State Series, vol. 5, 16 May–31 October 1803, ed. David B. Mattern, J. C. A. Stagg, Ellen J. Barber, Anne Mandeville Colony, and Bradley J. Daigle. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2000, pp. 577–578.
[4]“From James Madison to Samuel Coleman, 4 May 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-04-02-0679, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of James Madison, Secretary of State Series, vol. 4, 8 October 1802 – 15 May 1803, ed. Mary A. Hackett, J. C. A. Stagg, Jeanne Kerr Cross, Susan Holbrook Perdue, and Ellen J. Barber. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1998, p. 573.
[5]“To James Madison from Samuel Coleman, 24 May 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-05-02-0036, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of James Madison, Secretary of State Series, vol. 5, 16 May–31 October 1803, ed. David B. Mattern, J. C. A. Stagg, Ellen J. Barber, Anne Mandeville Colony, and Bradley J. Daigle. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2000, p. 30.
[6]“To James Madison from Samuel Coleman, 27 June 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-05-02-0150, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of James Madison, Secretary of State Series, vol. 5, 16 May–31 October 1803, ed. David B. Mattern, J. C. A. Stagg, Ellen J. Barber, Anne Mandeville Colony, and Bradley J. Daigle. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2000, pp. 125–126.
[7]“From James Madison to James Monroe, 7 November 1800,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-17-02-0280, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of James Madison, vol. 17, 31 March 1797–3 March 1801 and supplement 22 January 1778–9 August 1795, ed. David B. Mattern, J. C. A. Stagg, Jeanne K. Cross, and Susan Holbrook Perdue. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1991, p. 432.
[8]“To James Madison from Samuel Coleman, 26 October 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-05-02-0584, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of James Madison, Secretary of State Series, vol. 5, 16 May–31 October 1803, ed. David B. Mattern, J. C. A. Stagg, Ellen J. Barber, Anne Mandeville Colony, and Bradley J. Daigle. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2000, pp. 577–578.
[9]“From James Madison to William Lee, 6 April 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-04-02-0587, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of James Madison, Secretary of State Series, vol. 4, 8 October 1802 – 15 May 1803, ed. Mary A. Hackett, J. C. A. Stagg, Jeanne Kerr Cross, Susan Holbrook Perdue, and Ellen J. Barber. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1998, pp. 485–486.
[10]“From James Madison to Thomas Newton, Jr., 5 [August] 1803,” Founders Online, National Archives (http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/02-05-02-0296, ver. 2014-02-12). Source: The Papers of James Madison, Secretary of State Series, vol. 5, 16 May–31 October 1803, ed. David B. Mattern, J. C. A. Stagg, Ellen J. Barber, Anne Mandeville Colony, and Bradley J. Daigle. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 2000, pp. 280–281.