Celebrate Independence Day with Monticello!

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Vineyards and wineries now dot the Virginia countryside, but this was not always the case—be it in Jefferson's lifetime, or even most of the twentieth century. Watch this Q&A with Monticello's Director of Gardens & Grounds, Gabriele Rausse, known as the "Father of Virginia Wine." Rausse is a legendary viticulturist who played a pivotal role in the successful commercial cultivation of wine in Virginia in the late-twentieth century, and the realization of Thomas Jefferson's dream to create fine wine from Monticello-grown grapes. He’ll discuss Jefferson’s vineyards, his preferred wines, and our current vineyard cultivation at Monticello.