I'll drink to that where we get behind the scenes of the beverage business.

I'm Levy Dalton.

I'm Erin Scala and here's our show today. Oh, Wine. Wine, it was a part of Thomas Jefferson's life at an early age.

At his childhood home, an inventory from 1769 listed four bottles of Portuguese wine, 15 bottles of

Madeira, 54 bottles of cider, and 83 bottles of rum. But Jefferson's interest in wine intensified, especially

after his ambacitorship to France, which took him through many of France's

most famous vineyards.

On a rainy day in February 1787, Thomas Jefferson left Paris in a carriage to tour France and Northern Italy.

A few months earlier he had injured his wrist in a horse accident and was headed to treat it in the healing mineral waters found in the spas of Provence.

But on his way, he made a remarkable tour of France's wine country

and helped stir up interest in French wine among his contemporaries.

He was also scouting vines he thought might thrive at his

Madicello home in Virginia. His discoveries on his journey would also guide him

later when he took on the task of stocking the White House

wine cellar. After leaving Paris, his first wine stop was in Champagne. At that time sparkling wine hadn't been perfected and much of the production was a pale red similar to today's red burgundy.

Jefferson wasn't a fan of what he tried.

Though later in life Jefferson would often Jefferson wasn't a fan of what he tried.

Though later in life, Jefferson would often serve sparkling Champagne at the White House.

In Champagne, he wasn't a fan of what he tried and wrote in his notebook,

Wine Not Good. and wrote in his notebook, Wine, not good.

He travelled south to Burgundy

and towards Shambertin, Vugo, Romine, Vone,

...