It was good enough for Thomas Jefferson ...

We toured Monticello on a recent trip to Charlottesville. Down in TJ's cellar was a note about the kinds of wines that our third president enjoyed. He liked Madeira. He liked port.

He also liked North Carolina wine. REALLY liked it.

In fact, in 1817 Jefferson -- according to the Jefferson Encyclopedia -- "gave the state of North Carolina credit for producing 'the first specimen of an exquisite wine,' Scuppernong, and praised its 'fine aroma, and chrystalline transparence.' " It should also be noted that by 1826, "[w]ith the exception of a 'sufficient' quantity of Scuppernong, all the wines on hand in the Monticello cellar at the time of Jefferson's death came from southern France."

Not bad praise at all.

So why do wine snobs still look down their noses at the "sweet" wines?

Sweet wines - or "comfort wines," as this poster states -- are those "familiar, simple wines that are inseparably linked to fond memories, or places, or events. While they typically don’t receive rave reviews from wine critics and won’t be showcased in glossy periodicals, they do have merit."

Sounds fine to me.