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—
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” ( ). On 28 Mar. 1823 Adlum wrote to James Madison sharing his wine and asking him to patronize premiums for vine cultivation ( , Retirement Ser., 3:24–6).
1. Manuscript: “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