Most people recognize Thomas Jefferson as author of the Declaration of Independence, but few are aware that he also was the founding father of American viticulture. "The Cultivated Life: Thomas Jefferson and Wine" is set against the gorgeous backdrop of Jefferson's Monticello, the great wine regions of France, the Napa Valley, and the historic Virginia landscape. The film guides the viewer on a visual journey of the life of America's first wine connoisseur. From his early experiments with Italian vignerons at Monticello, to his grand tour through France and Italy, through his years in the White House, and then his later efforts in retirement, The Cultivated Life: Thomas Jefferson and Wine culminates with the realization of Jefferson's dream of producing first-rate wine in America.