Through a dream sequence, you (the reader) go back in time to 18th century Paris where you meet Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. In the comfort of Jefferson's residence on the Champs-Elysees, you sit down with these two great Americans, and in response to your questions, they tell in their own words the most interesting stories of their lives. There are extensive citations of authority to support all of their comments.

Customer Review: BORRRING and disappointing

Was hoping to get something a little more historical but it turned out to be a fantasy dinner loosely based on history. I intentionally left the book on the airplane.

Customer Review: Dinner with Two 18th Century Gourmets

DINNER WITH TWO 18TH C GOURMETS
A Book Review
by Wilson G. Duprey / Gail Unzelman

Bibliographer, novelist, and wine historian James Gabler has pro-duced another capital book. An Evening with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson-Dinner, Wine, and Conversation is a marvelous mix of biog-raphy, travel, American diplomatic his-tory, and wine history. The author has used a dream device to place a professor of American history, Jack Osborne-who is also a well-versed wine historian and connoisseur of wines-in the dining room of Thomas Jefferson's elegant mansion on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. His fellow dinner guest is Benjamin Franklin. Prof. Osborne is informed of the evening's menu and then asked to choose the wines for the dinner. Jack is familiar with the wines that Jefferson had acquired for his cellar and is honored with the request. The wines and the menu:
1783 Dorsey's Champagne Aperitif
1784 Meursault Goute d'Or Normandy oysters
1784 Montrachet Spaghetti, tossed with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and an-chovies
1784 Haut Brion Beef ? la mode, served with
1784 Ch. Margaux potatoes & two kinds of peas
from Jefferson's garden
1784 Ch. Yquem Ice cream in puff pastry.
The dinner produced lively conversation on into the night.
One of the most interesting parts of this book is Thomas Jefferson's story-mostly in his own words taken from his voluminous papers, both archived and published. He tells about his 3? month trip through southern France and into northern Italy, over the icy Alps (part of the way by mule back), tasting wines and keeping meticulous notes on the wines and their histories. He canvassed the wines of Burgundy, the M?doc and Bordeaux, and everything in between, whether grand ch?teau or tiny vineyard. He checked the composition of the soils, met the owners and asked about vineyard practices, and often ordered wines to his liking for his Parisian cellar and his cellar at Monticello. He of course met many of the wine merchants, some of whom he had dealt with for years. He soon learned that buying wine bottled at the vineyard provided more certainty of getting what he ordered, for there was much blending of wines by the merchants. In Italy he learned of the wine Nebiule (today's Nebbiolo) among many others new to him. He was also able to smuggle out in his pockets some of the supposedly superior Piedmont rice to send home to a South Carolina friend-who planted it, and found Carolina's rice more to his liking.
Throughout this journey Jefferson visited all the natural, architectural, and historical elements, including ruins, arenas, temples, and the famous Roman aqueduct near Nimes. Wherever he went he attended the plays, operas, and other local entertainments; he ate in fine restaurants, if possible, and tasted the local wines. Like other travelers of the time, he suffered the indignities and barbarities of the taverns and hotels along the rural roads. But nonetheless, he enjoyed his time and received a first-hand glimpse of much of France and northern Italy.
Jefferson made a wine tour through Germany as well, again tasting and taking copious notes while he experienced the fine wines of the Moselle, Johannis-berg, Hochheim, and Rudesheim. In addition to buying German wines for his cellars at Paris and Monticello, he bought vine shoots that he planted in his Paris garden, intending to transplant them to Monticello.
All through the evening, Professor Osborne im-parted current (21st century) information to Jefferson and Franklin about the vineyards in France, Italy and Germany, and let them know that many of the great vineyards of the 18th century were still producing superb wines.
The professor asked many questions of his dinner companions. Their answers were straight forward, despite being asked often-intimate details of their lives, and those of their wives, children, friends, and enemies.
Jefferson was born an aristocrat, a Virginia planter, with thousands of acres of productive land; he owned slaves, and was an important figure in the often volatile Virginia legislature. Jefferson considered his three most important legacies (1) the Declaration of Independence (helped write it, and signed it), (2) the American Constitution (helped create), and (3) the founding and development of the University of Virginia at Charlottesville.
Franklin, on the other hand, was born in Boston and struggled to become a printer's apprentice at age fourteen. Eventually he arrived in Philadelphia and found success in the printing business. He went on to become postmaster, invent the Franklin stove and bifocal eye-glasses, do his electrical-lightning experiments, and become a first-class entrepreneur, able to retire at age 42. In 1754, now aged 48, he began his long and illustrious career in public life. He was appointed in 1776 as American minister to France, where he served until 1785 when he then asked Congress to allow him to retire so he could return home, now an elderly man.
Jefferson succeeded him as minister. The two statesmen had been friends in Philadelphia at the time of the writing of the Declaration of Independence; Franklin enjoyed his new duty of introducing young Jefferson to the French ministry, intelligentsia, aristocratic and social circles-all vitally important in diplomatic relations. Jefferson stayed on at Paris as American minister until 1789, when he came back to the U.S. with his two daughters. He intended to return to Paris; but he became involved in national politics, was elected President, and would never see France again.
Conversation flowed during the evening. It seems that a favorite topic was the lady friends of both men. Jefferson, a new widower when he arrived in Paris, told of only one emotional affair, with Maria Cosway the famous artist. Alas, it did not survive. Franklin reminded the professor that he had married in Philadelphia, but his wife had a mortal fear of sea journeys and never joined him for his overseas assignments. Franklin's life in London suited him so well that he returned to Philadelphia only once, for two years. When he returned to London, his loving wife carried on his business affairs at home until her death. Franklin enjoyed the company of a fine lady friend, and named three: his London landlady, his neighbor in Passy, and the third was one of the most beautiful ladies in France (according to Abigail Adams). None of the ladies succumbed to his amorous eye, but all were extremely attentive friends.
We get a good picture of John Adams, the Massa-chusetts signer of the Declaration, and one time friend to Jefferson-they would become dire opponents in later presidential campaigns. A 700-mile journey with Jefferson's close Virginia friend, James Madison, is taken through the Revolutionary battle fields in New York and surrounding areas. Naval hero John Paul Jones is newly introduced in coastal English waters, and the Marquis de Lafayette is revealed in cloak and dagger activities.
Both Jefferson and Franklin speak long and well of George Washington, both as general and as President. While in France, Jefferson was honored to send French wines to the capitol for Washington's table. Later on Jefferson wrote a most informative letter to newly elected President Madison about the wines he should import for the White House, with names, dealers, agents, cost per bottle, and directions for bottling and shipping abroad. Among the wines Jefferson recommended was the famous Italian wine, Montepulciano from Tuscany.
There are almost one hundred vignette photos scattered throughout the book-views of cities of France, Italy, Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, and the United States, and portraits of individuals- all reflecting the late 18th century scene of Jefferson and Franklin.
Following the elaborate and detailed bibliographic notes for the text, are a few extra bonuses: (1) the fascinating story about the bottle of Ch. Lafite 1787 with the embossed initials "Th.J." that sold for $156,450 at a New York auction; (2) recipes for Jefferson's Beef ? la Mode, Browned Flour, and Mushroom Catsup (all from a new cookbook, Dining at Monticello).
In this fictional, but fact-based imaginative and fascinating journey, James Gabler provides a vivid portrait of Jefferson and Franklin as true gourmets, enjoying the finest of food and wine. Jefferson's almost four-month tasting extravaganza through the vineyards of France and Italy surely classes him as the 18th century's wine connoisseur par excellence. In a sense, the two gentlemen were the jet-setters of the eighteenth century!

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