Only until recently, the White House regularly posted their wine selections for state dinners and other events. Apparently this was done to not show favoritism to any particular winery (by the way, the White House only serves American wines). However, it’s more likely that the actual reason they no longer post their wines is the criticism the White House has received over the prices of the bottles they serve in this tough economy.
I understand not spending tax payers’ money on multi-hundred dollars a bottle, I do. But aside from that, who cares? Good wine can be pricey if you don’t want to serve Queen Elizabeth Two Buck Chuck. And can’t the POTUS have some perks? It’s a stressful job after all.
Of course, this new policy doesn’t stop attendees from posting information about the wines they were served. Dr. Vino received just this information and posted it online. See a more full description here. I always find these lists incredibly interesting. And I’m also happy to see that Virginia wines are pretty regularly served (a nod to Mr. Jefferson, perhaps?). In this case, the VA wine was a Thibaut-Janisson Brut NV, a sparkler that I’ve had a few times and know little about, but I suppose I should.
Other than that, very good (but nothing crazy) chardonnay and cabernet with the main course, and another sparkling – this time California – with dessert. It seems like a perfectly reasonable and restrained set of wines. I’m curious to learn more about who chooses these. If they’re looking for a new staffer to work on pairings, I’m available.
The Winedown 