Vendanges at Château d’Yquem. Credit: C. Goussard

The Founding Father's Favorite Wine

10 Minute read

01 Jul 2026

Jillian Dara

Journalist

Copy link

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, discover how Thomas Jefferson helped establish Sauternes as one of the country's earliest celebrated imported wines.

In 1787, Thomas Jefferson was in the second year of his four-year tenure as the United States Minister to France (1785-1789). During that time, he kept detailed records of his experiences abroad, including meticulous notes on his epicurean education.

“Jefferson had a very refined palate that was influenced by his time in Paris,” says Charles C. Ludington, a wine historian, university history professor, and general editor of the Bloomsbury Cultural History of Wine. When Jefferson arrived in Paris, Benjamin Franklin was also in France. “Franklin seemed to influence Jefferson by teaching him about as much as he could in his own time in France,” says Ludington.

His education included French restaurant culture and food and wine pairings. Jefferson was already a wine enthusiast. According to Ludington, Madeira was his favorite wine before traveling to France, where he was introduced to the wines of Burgundy, Bordeaux, and the Rhône Valley, broadening his palate. By the time he left France, he had amassed a collection of more than 320 bottles in his Paris cellar.

Among his favorite wines was Sauternes, a white wine from Bordeaux made primarily from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes. Today, it is recognized for its natural sweetness, which comes from botrytis, or noble rot, a beneficial fungus that dehydrates the grapes and concentrates their sugars. While the contemporary style of Sauternes differs from the wines Jefferson drank—merchants commonly blended wines, and botrytis did not become a defining characteristic of Sauternes until the early 19th century—history suggests Jefferson helped introduce the Sauternes region, and one estate in particular, to American wine drinkers.

According to his diaries, Jefferson wrote (errors preserved): “The white wines of Sautern are the most pleasant in Bordeaux, followed by those of Prignac and Barsac.” He also noted that “the best of all belongs to Mr de Lur Saluces.” At the time, Comte Alexandre de Lur Saluces managed Château d’Yquem.

Jefferson appreciated Château d’Yquem so much that, a few months after returning to the United States, he ordered more than 400 bottles from the estate while serving as Secretary of State under George Washington. He requested 10 dozen, or 120 bottles, for himself and 30 dozen for Washington.

“The white wine of Sauternes of your cru… has been so well accepted by Americans who know good wines that I am sure that now that I am back in the United States my countrymen here will admire them,” he wrote in a letter to the Comte de Lur Saluces from Philadelphia on September 6, 1790.

Though it isn't clear whether the bottles were intended for private consumption or state dinners, Ludington says the style of wine clearly resonated with Americans.

As France's principal Atlantic port, Bordeaux already enjoyed a logistical advantage over inland regions like Burgundy and Champagne when it came to exporting wine to the eastern United States. Even so, Jefferson's influence mattered. “So surely he influenced those both in Virginia after he retired but also in his roles of government in New York,” says Ludington. At the time, Ludington notes, there wasn't a restaurant or bar scene in America, so “it was the dinner parties of the elite that spread the knowledge of wine.”

A year after his 1790 order, Jefferson wrote to John Bondfield, the acting American consul in Bordeaux, noting that not only had Château d'Yquem captured his own admiration, but it had also won over the broader American market: “This Yquem proves a most excellent wine and seems to have hit the palate of the Americans more than any wine I have ever seen in France.”

A February 1791 ledger from the Château d'Yquem archives records that another 554 bottles were shipped to Jefferson in 10 trunks. Today, as Sauternes remains popular among American collectors and wine enthusiasts, Jefferson's influence has not gone unrecognized. According to Château d'Yquem, the people of Bordeaux honor Jefferson's appreciation for the region's wines with a plaque at the U.S. Consulate commemorating him as a symbol of Franco-American friendship.

While many Americans think of Sauternes as a premium dessert wine, it isn't limited to sweet pairings. Although the exact dishes Jefferson paired with Sauternes were never recorded, Ludington says, “we do have enough evidence to know that whatever pairings he made, he thought very carefully about them.” More broadly, Ludington argues that Jefferson helped shape the way Americans thought about wine. “He thought wine was a dinner necessity and something to be paired with food,” he says.

Pair Sauternes With These Four Dishes

White Asparagus With Beurre Blanc
One of Ludington's favorite pairings with Sauternes is snappy white asparagus topped with a rich beurre blanc. The savory sauce complements the wine's sweetness, while its acidity cuts through the butter's richness.

Bleu Cheese
Long before Emma Bengtsson became executive chef of Aquavit in New York City, she was in her 20s exploring the world of three-MICHELIN-starred restaurants in France when she encountered one of the most memorable food and wine pairings of her life: a single slice of bleu cheese paired with Sauternes. “That was my first ‘aha moment’ for what a really good pairing should be,” recalls Bengtsson. “I can’t remember anything else from that menu, but I remember that pairing like it was yesterday.”

Grilled Scallops
At Aubergine, executive chef Justin Cogley has paired Sauternes, specifically Château Rieussec, with grilled scallops atop aji amarillo, crisp lettuces, and a coconut sauce infused with grilled fish bones. “The dish needs a little heat and the flavors complement the apricot notes in the wine,” he says.

Foie Gras
This indulgent pairing is a classic for a reason. The creamy, savory, and fatty delicacy can quickly overwhelm the palate after only a few bites. A sip of Sauternes resets and refreshes the palate between bites thanks to its acidity and sweetness. Ludington advises adding a little flaky salt atop the foie gras to emphasize the beauty of the salty-sweet combination.