I’m sure none of you will be shocked to read that Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was a great lover of wine, or that his favorite wine (Chambertin) was French. However, I was surprised to learn that, during his final days of exile on the island of St. Helena, Napoleon apparently took a liking to a sweet dessert wine from South Africa known as “Vin de Constance.”
During the first year of his stay on St. Helena, Napoleon managed to obtain regular shipments of Chambertin from Burgundy. However, as his health declined he became unable to tolerate red wine - it aggravated his stomach pains. He was forced to seek out alternatives, and the sweet wine possessed by one of his companions, Emmanuel comte de Las Cases, was found to be an acceptable substitute. The Emperor began consuming Vin de Constance on a regular basis, and by 1821, 30 bottles were being shipped to the remote, tropical island from South Africa every month.
According to Las Cases, Napoleon referred to Constantia wine as “Las Cases’ wine” and even requested a glass of it on his deathbed:
In his last moments, when rejecting every thing that was offered, and not knowing
what to have recourse to, he said--"Give me a glass of Las Cases’ wine."
Comte de Las Cases, p.274
While this is certainly an interesting anecdote, it should probably be taken with a grain of salt. Las Cases wasn’t present at Napoleon’s death, and the entire account (pp.273-74 of Las Cases’ memoirs) paints the author in a very positive light. Still, this has not stopped Klein Constantia from repeating the story on their website, and many others, including Wine Enthusiast, have accepted it as truth. I personally was not able to find any sources (or references to sources) to support the claim that Napoleon’s final pour was a glass of Vin de Constance. But if there are any out there, I’d definitely be interested to hear about them.
In any event, the Constantia vineyards do have a long and impressive history, and the wine made there prior to 1865 was well-known throughout the world (it’s mentioned by name in Sense and Sensibility*). Unfortunately, the original vines were ruined by phylloxera in the late 19th Century, and wine production subsequently ceased for about 100 years. Growing resumed at Klein Constantia in 1979/80. The current incarnation of Vin de Constance has been generally well-received by wine critics (Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and Wine Advocate), typically earning scores in the mid- to low-90s.
* Continuing the brand’s associations with great literature, the modern Vin de Constance appears in one of the 50 Shades books.
Sources:
Memoirs of the comte de Las Cases, https://books.google.com/books?id=CZNIAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA418&lpg=PA418&dq=Count+de+las+Cases+wine+napoleon&source=bl&ots=YW7fAe41Di&sig=-vjRDIi0YPMDZYCSINIKUf4XMus&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiwlabVwbLKAhVK_WMKHViCDr8Q6AEINDAE#v=onepage&q&f=false
“Our History,” Klein Constantia, http://www.kleinconstantia.com/our-farm/our-history/
“Drink Like an Emperor,” Wine Enthusiast, http://www.winemag.com/2010/10/04/drink-like-an-emperor/
“The Wine Habits of Napoleon and Josephine,” Vine Talk, http://www.vinetalk.com/the-wine-habits-of-napoleon-and-josephine/
“Klein Constantia Vin de Constance (500ML),” Wine.com, http://www.wine.com/v6/Klein-Constantia-Vin-de-Constance-500ML-1997/wine/55372/Detail.aspx
“50 Shades Sparks Interest in Vin de Constance,” The Drinks Business, http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2013/01/50-shades-sparks-interest-in-vin-de-constance/
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