The Billionaire's Vinegar

I loved this book and couldn’t recommend it highly enough. It reads like a modern-day thriller, made all the better as it's based on true-events. It’s a well-told story involving Thomas Jefferson, Chateau Lafite Wine, Christie's Auction House, Masters of Wine, and Billionaires that had me turning the pages as fast as possible. I loved all the historical details and the well-researched nature of this gripping tale.

What I enjoyed most about the book was its exploration of the perceived value we place on wine and how we reconcile that perceived value with how far we would go to obtain… show more.

A booze book fit for the big screen, it follows eccentric wine collectors pursuing their unicorn of unicorns, a 1787 Château Lafite Bordeaux supposedly once owned by Thomas Jefferson. It eventually sells for $156,000 at auction, and then things get even stranger as mysteries unravel and con men enter the scene.

A page-turner like no other.

Wallace begins this book with the ultimate set-up: A centuries-old bottle of wine supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson sells at auction for an astronomical price – but is the relic the real deal, or the work of a brilliant con artist?

While I’m not a major wine drinker – Two-Buck Chuck is usually good enough for me – I found myself utterly delighted by this fascinating yarn of obsessive collectors, cutthroat businessmen, and impassioned auctioneers.