On 3 June 1807, United States president Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to Albert Gallatin, his secretary of the treasury, in which he classed “Cape” wines among the world’s most expensive, alongside hock, Tokaji and Malmsey.

He was almost certainly referring to Constantia, the sweet wine that had been sent worldwide “to soften the temper of ministers, and to sweeten the lips of royalty itself” since the early 18th century.

However, apart from a recorded payment of 24 pounds for “Cape Wines” in 1779, the year he was elected governor of Virginia, there is no evidence that America’s “greatest patron of wine and wine growing” ever drank Constantia, which is surprising for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, both of his presidential predecessors drank it. In May 1778, while still fighting for US independence from Britain, George Washington received “a small Box Containing one dozn Bottles of Constantia Wine” which he described as an “acceptable present”. And in December 1779, while representing the fledgling union in Spain, John Adams enjoyed a memorable dinner at which Constantia was served among “the greatest Profusion and Variety of Wines I ever saw brought to any table”. As he later recalled: “We had every Luxury, but the Wines were Bourdeaux, Champagne, Burgundy, Sherry, Alicante, Navarre, and Vin de Cap. The most delicious in the World.”

Secondly, Jefferson became president in 1801, when ships from America outnumbered those from every nation calling at the Cape except Britain, which had taken control of this so-called “key to India” from the Dutch in 1795.

South Africa does, however, have one indisputable claim to fame regarding Jefferson, namely that he planted “vines from Cape of Good Hope” at Monticello, his estate in Charlottesville, Virginia, alongside vines from Burgundy, Champagne, and Bordeaux—wine regions he certainly did admire—and he did so on at least two occasions: in 1802 and 1812.