Thomas Jefferson Papers

John Adlum to Thomas Jefferson, 24 March 1823

From John Adlum

Vineyard near George Town D.C. March 24th 1823

Dear Sir

I sent you some days since a bottle of domestic wine that I call Tokay—I now send you a bottle of what I call Burgundy. neither of these wines have had any brandy in them,—I will after I have bottled it send you a bottle of my Champaign, made of the miller Burgundy grape, which will have to be kept perhaps two months before you drink it, when I expect it will be brisk and sparkle—I have but about five gallons of this quarter cask of my Burgundy wine left—; but I have a barrel & quarter cask more but not so good as this,—I will be glad to have your opinion of the wines and also of the book I sent you—I called last spring upon Mr Robert Smith President of the Agricultural Society of Maryland to endeavour to get a premium offered for the cultivation of the grape and making wine; but I believe it is not yet acted on, and I presume will not untill some persons above the common prejudices take it up,—If a premium was offered, I could not look upon myself a candidate as I have at1 least three Years advantage of any person now begining—But I have the pleasure of seeing a considerable interest taking place in Virginia, this spring, on the cultivation of the Vine &c And have sold at least ten times the number of cuttings to Virginians, that I have to other persons—If you think it would be of any advantage to this Country to recommend to Mr Madison to patronize this object, I would thank you to recommend it to him, not as an individual, but as President of an Agricultural Society—And as I said above I will not consider myself a candidate for the premium if one is offered—I intend in a few days to send Mr Madison, the same wine, I have the pleasure of sending you—I am sorry to take up so much of your time; but I hope my anxiety to promote an object which I hope will produce a new era in this Country for the better, will plead my excuse—

I am Dear Sir very respectfully Your most Obedt Servt

John Adlum

RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 29 Mar. 1823 and so recorded in SJL.

The miller grape is “so called from the flour-like powder that forms on the underside of the leaves” (OED description begins James A. H. Murray, J. A. Simpson, E. S. C. Weiner, and others, eds., The Oxford English Dictionary, 2d ed., 1989, 20 vols. description ends ). On 28 Mar. 1823 Adlum wrote to James Madison sharing his wine and asking him to patronize premiums for vine cultivation (Madison, Papers description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, John C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, 1962– , 43 vols.: Congress. Ser., 17 vols.: Pres. Ser., 11 vols.: Retirement Ser., 3 vols.: Sec. of State Ser., 12 vols. description ends , Retirement Ser., 3:24–6).

1Manuscript: “a.”

Index Entries

  • Adlum, John; A Memoir on the Cultivation of the Vine in America, and the Best Mode of Making Wine search
  • Adlum, John; and grape cuttings search
  • Adlum, John; and wine search
  • Adlum, John; letters from search
  • Agricultural Society of Albemarle; officers of search
  • agriculture; Maryland Agricultural Society search
  • A Memoir on the Cultivation of the Vine in America, and the Best Mode of Making Wine (J. Adlum) search
  • books; on wine search
  • burgundy (wine) search
  • champagne (wine) search
  • grapes; Miller burgundy search
  • grapes; vine cuttings search
  • Madison, James (1751–1836); and Agricultural Society of Albemarle search
  • Madison, James (1751–1836); wine sent to search
  • Maryland Agricultural Society search
  • Smith, Robert (1757–1842); as president of Maryland Agricultural Society search
  • Tokay (wine) search
  • viticulture; in U.S. search
  • viticulture; in Va. search
  • wine; books on search
  • wine; burgundy search
  • wine; champagne search
  • wine; production of search
  • wine; sent to TJ search
  • wine; Tokay search