• Blog
  • About Me
    • Press Release
  • Back Road Wineries
    • California Wine Trail
    • Tuscany Wine Trail
    • Baja California Wine Trail
  • Wine A Bit ~ Editorial & Reviews
  • Contact Me

UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Book Review: The Billionaire’s Vinegar

January 3, 2021 by Deborah Mines

Part detective caper, part wine history, The Billionaire’s Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace is an intricate exposé about the “fake wine” importer Hardy Rodenstock and his quest to sell the world’s most expensive bottle of wine, or in this case, bottles of wine. A bottle of the infamous 1787 Château Lafite Bordeaux wine, with the etched initials Th. J., was purportedly owned by founding father and third President, Thomas Jefferson. That particular bottle of wine sold at a London Christie’s auction for $156,000 in 1985 to the Forbes family, the highest price paid for a single bottle of wine to date.

Author Wallace regales readers with multiple accounts of lavish three-day marathon wine tastings hosted by the imposing Rodenstock, and other equally heady social wine gatherings held in the pretentious high society wine circles in the 1980’s both in the States and abroad.

Anecdotes from Jefferson’s days serving as Foreign Minister to France circa 1785-1789, detail his great love of wine and  interest in viticulture.  His journal indicates the shipping of thousands of vitis vinifera root stock to the United States, hoping to successfully plant and cultivate a vineyard with french varietals at his home in Monticello.

While Jefferson was well-documented as a wine aficionado and collector, the provenance of the 1787 Château Lafite puzzled scientists and collectors alike.  Carbon dating tests were performed on the sediment in the bottles and the corks, glass and labels were scrutinized for authenticity.

Other wealthy collectors, such as Bill Koch, would join the elite ranks and purchase Bordeaux wine from Jefferson’s supposed “extended collection” only to later sue Rodenstock and the auction houses that sold the “fake wine” to him.

It would be many years for the truth to be finally revealed.  Wallace engages readers in this well-researched page-turner novel.  The Billionaire’s Vinegar  has enough historical value even if the reader has little interest in wine.

Filed Under: Wine A Bit Tagged With: Chateau La Fite, Hardy Rodenstock, wine collecting; Thomas Jefferson wine, wine fraudster

Wine Trail Search

Follow My Wine Blog

    Your Name

    Your Email

    A Little About Me

    To many, I’m simply known as a wanderlust ~ a free-spirited adventuress with a passion for travel and a lover of great wines!Read more...

    Vintage Posts

    • Jordan Winery’s Chateau Block Vineyard Tasting Is Unforgettable November 26, 2021
    • Trending Now ~ Top 3 Wineries in Temecula September 12, 2021
    • Freeman Vineyard & Winery’s Cave Tasting Is A “10” August 8, 2021
    • 2021’s Top 10 Winery Picks off Russian River Valley’s Iconic Westside Road July 5, 2021
    • Kickstart The Weekend In DRNK’s Wine Cave June 6, 2021
    • Cannabis in Wine Country? NIMBY. May 29, 2021
    • Ojai’s Spiritual Vortex (And Great Wine) Soothes The Soul April 4, 2021
    • Book Review: The Billionaire’s Vinegar January 3, 2021
    • Book Review: Sonoma Wine And The Story Of Buena Vista November 29, 2020
    • California Wineries Are Now “Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop…” November 15, 2020
    • Russian River Valley Welcomes Visitors in Uncertain Times… September 20, 2020
    • BOOK REVIEW: A Wine Journey Along The Russian River May 30, 2020
    • US Wine Market Update: A Regional Perspective Webinar Unites Top Industry Leaders April 17, 2020
    • The Lifecycle of a Grape Vine ~ From Vine To Wine March 26, 2020
    • 2019’s “Top 10” Eclectic RRV Wineries December 29, 2019
    • Russian River Valley’s Arista Wines Earn Top Accolades From Wine Spectator September 24, 2019
    • Littorai Wines ~ A Tale of Two Coasts & Three Pinot Noir Styles September 13, 2019
    • After Much Ado, “House of Flowers” Debuts In Russian River Valley August 29, 2019
    • Best Backroads For Cycling In RRV-Healdsburg Wine Country August 16, 2019
    • Experience Cave-Aged Wines At DRNK Winery in Russian River Valley July 3, 2019
    • Best Kept Secret in Sta. Rita Hills ~ Spear Vineyards & Winery May 17, 2019
    • Spring Is An Ideal, And Uncrowded, Time To Visit Wine Country April 19, 2019
    • NEW BOOK RELEASE: Root Cause, A Novel by Steven Laine February 19, 2019
    • Discover the Hidden Wine Caves in Sonoma Wine Country December 17, 2018
    • Vin Santo Reigns In Chianti’s Medieval Hamlet of Castello di Volpaia November 16, 2018

    Uncorked Wine SD

    UncorkedWineTravels Follow

    Deb Mines is a wine enthusiast with a passion for travel! Seeking the stories behind the vines... . WSET Level 3, FWS, CSW,AWE

    UncorkedWineSD
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    16 Dec

    Christmas in Grapevine Texas ⁦@landonwinery⁩ 🍷🍷

    Reply on Twitter 1603815303867252765 Retweet on Twitter 1603815303867252765 Like on Twitter 1603815303867252765 Twitter 1603815303867252765
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    21 Nov 2021

    Master Sommelier Program Out of Time | Wine-Searcher News & Features https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2021/11/master-sommelier-program-out-of-time #GoodOldBoysClub #EnoughIsEnough

    Reply on Twitter 1462563347627343876 Retweet on Twitter 1462563347627343876 Like on Twitter 1462563347627343876 Twitter 1462563347627343876
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    3 Oct 2021

    A shout out to Ryan Kunde ⁦@DRNKwines⁩ Wildwood Vineyards 2018 Cab Sauvignon ~ perfectly integrated lusciousness🍷🍷🙌🙌#wine #SonomaStrong

    Reply on Twitter 1444458315619061760 Retweet on Twitter 1444458315619061760 Like on Twitter 1444458315619061760 1 Twitter 1444458315619061760
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    16 Sep 2021

    The @WineSpectator Scholarship Foundation is giving $10M to @NVCollege's Viticulture, Wine and Technology program. The Wine Spectator Wine Education Complex will offer affordable training for aspiring #wine industry workers young and old: https://winesp.ec/39nW5r7

    Reply on Twitter 1438493844467699721 Retweet on Twitter 1438493844467699721 Like on Twitter 1438493844467699721 Twitter 1438493844467699721
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    13 Sep 2021

    Top 3 Wineries in Temecula WIne Country
    https://uncorkedwinetravels.com/trending-now-top-3-wineries-in-temecula/
    #winelovers #wine #winetasting

    Reply on Twitter 1437212801898934278 Retweet on Twitter 1437212801898934278 Like on Twitter 1437212801898934278 Twitter 1437212801898934278
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    15 Aug 2021

    Discover Scout & Cellar's Clean-Crafted Wines - Be ready to be wowed! Interested in starting your own wine business? DM for details or visit http://www.scoutandcellar.com/UncorkedWineTravels

    Reply on Twitter 1426984234573615111 Retweet on Twitter 1426984234573615111 Like on Twitter 1426984234573615111 Twitter 1426984234573615111
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    9 Aug 2021

    Freeman Vineyard & WInery's Cave Tasting is a "10"
    https://uncorkedwinetravels.com/freeman-vineyard-winerys-cave-tasting-is-a-10/

    2

    Reply on Twitter 1424526599458754563 Retweet on Twitter 1424526599458754563 Like on Twitter 1424526599458754563 Twitter 1424526599458754563
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    14 Jul 2021

    Hot time Summer in the city 🎵🎶. Fire up the BBQ and pair grilled goodies with Scout and Cellar’s clean-crafted wines 🍷🍷DM me for info or visit my bio link. https://www.instagram.com/p/CRUti0CLHoh/?utm_medium=twitter

    Reply on Twitter 1415431411956396040 Retweet on Twitter 1415431411956396040 Like on Twitter 1415431411956396040 1 Twitter 1415431411956396040
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    2 Jul 2021

    Beautiful warm breezy day @PalumboWinery #temeculawinecountry #winetasting #July4th

    Reply on Twitter 1411062285917847552 Retweet on Twitter 1411062285917847552 Like on Twitter 1411062285917847552 1 Twitter 1411062285917847552
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    2 Jul 2021

    Breezy warm day in #temeculawinecountry @palumbowinery Where Will your travels take you this holiday weekend? @ Palumbo Family Winery https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ1p0hVrv_Q/?utm_medium=twitter

    Reply on Twitter 1411060360086425601 Retweet on Twitter 1411060360086425601 Like on Twitter 1411060360086425601 1 Twitter 1411060360086425601
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    1 Jul 2021

    Just posted a photo https://www.instagram.com/p/CQyXbPwLFdd/?utm_medium=twitter

    Reply on Twitter 1410597696662949889 Retweet on Twitter 1410597696662949889 Like on Twitter 1410597696662949889 Twitter 1410597696662949889
    uncorkedwinesd UncorkedWineTravels @uncorkedwinesd ·
    26 Jun 2021

    Getting in the groove! Studying for Spanish @winescholarguil exam https://el9nou.cat/osona-ripolles/actualitat/santi-carcasona-torna-a-donar-so-al-vi/

    Reply on Twitter 1408922699460534275 Retweet on Twitter 1408922699460534275 Like on Twitter 1408922699460534275 Twitter 1408922699460534275
    Load More...

    Uncorked Wine Travels

    Follow on Instagram

    Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in