And speaking of learning. The University of Pennsylvania will not only give you that old classroom thrill of discovery, it will take you back in time. Wine, in fact, has been around a long, long time. Time travel is nice, you might say, but it lacks the spice of the real thing. A junket to several award-winning wineries is the bonus.
Australian wines are among the finest in the world.
A little closer to home, history and cuisine join together in some surprising ways. His taste for something better than Colonial home brew developed during his years as minister to France just after the American Revolution. He even planted a vineyard at his magnificent plantation home, Monticello, and was wine adviser to Presidents Washington, Madison, and Monroe. True to Jeffersonian democratic principle, the Thomas Jefferson Wine and Food Society is open to all. The club's Web address includes background about Jefferson's career as minister to France, his interest in viticulture, and his remarkably broad knowledge about the wines of Europe.