The Billionaire's Vinegar

September 11, 2008 How much would you be willing to pay for it? And more importantly, would you drink it?

That is the storyline behind "The Billionaire's Vinegar," a work of non-fiction by former Philadelphia Magazine writer Benjamin Wallace.

The bottle of wine in question is a 1787 Chateau Lfite Bordeaux, sold at an auction in 1985. The final price was $156,000. The buyer was the Forbes family.

Wallace takes us from that auction to places across the country, and the world, to provide an insider's look into the murky and mysterious world of old wine buying, selling, sipping and collecting.

The book also delves into the reclusive character known as Hardy Rodenstock, a German wine collector who claims to have discovered the 1787 bottle. Rodenstock also claims the wine was once possessed by none other than Thomas Jefferson.

"The Billionaire's Vinegar" is a book now, but a group involving Philadelphia native Will Smith has already optioned it for a movie.

Watch our Coffee Shop interview with Benjamin Wallace by clicking on the video clip above.

"The Billionaire's Vinegar" website