Wine and fudge at the White House

There was a lot of fuss this week about wines to be served at the White House state dinner for Prime Minister David Cameron. There’s been a blackout imposed on wine lists at official functions since President Obama was teased by right-wing bloggers for serving Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, which was selling for more than £300 a bottle. The realities were, (1.) the wine had been selling for just over $100 until the news got out that it was to be served at the White House, and (2.) the White House always buys the wine at the wholesale price. Still, as so often and unfortunately, someone at the White House caved in. Thanks to Eric Levine, founder of CellarTracker, who posted the menu, we now know that wines served included Thibaut-Janisson Brut sparkling wine (from Virginia), Peter Michael Chardonnay (often served when Brits come over, as Sir Peter is British), Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon, and Iron Horse, another sparkler, with dessert. Levine deservedly took credit for the leak, so I assume there won’t be a mole hunt.
       But, still. . . a blackout on what is, after all, legitimate news? Is this an election-year sop to evangelical Tea Party types? The President has a habit of being non-confrontational, but this, really, is chickenfeed. And of course the chatter around the affair is illuminating. Some people decry the American-wine-only policy as provincial (would Sarkozy serve Sonoma Zinfandel?); others complain about the state of the cellar, which amounts to 500 or so bottles, but that’s been the case for years. State dinners are political theater, and the wines served are part of the performance, chosen for the occasion (many years ago, when Queen Elizabeth came to Washington, the White House social secretary discovered she liked “German wines.” At least, that’s what I at Wine Institute was told, and I sent a list of California Rieslings; one was served, and she was happy. That’s how it goes.)
          As for the current flap, I’m suddenly nostalgic. Jimmy Carter –who was very open to wine--would have explained to the puritanical pygmies that wine’s an agricultural product; Ronald Reagan would have dismissed it with a quip; and Bill Clinton would have told them off, probably at length. I can’t see anyone on the top level of politics at the moment capable of doing anything like that any more.

Rioja: Still good news

Tasting at Decanter magazine’s recent Spanish Fine Wine Encounter certainly confirmed the superiority of the 2001 vintage in Rioja (which is, thanks to Rioja’s being under-rated, still available on some restaurant menus and still affordable compared to other older wines), and the elegance of the 2004 vintage.  A masterclass presenting wines from Marques de Murrieta reaffirmed the point, and provided a preview of another winner: 2007 Marques de Murrieta Reserva, which will be released near the end of 2012, is lovely, vibrant and well-structured, really delicious, and one that will be most rewarding to cellar. Well worth looking out for in the autumn. . . Otherwise, there was one disappointment, 2007 Dalmau, an attempt at a “super-Rioja,” blending Tempranillo with (you guessed it) Cabernet Sauvignon,  aged in (you guessed it again, right?) new French oak, quite concentrated, and indistinguishable from many other “international style” wines aimed at the monster-wine crowd. It’s part of what the winery calls “a new era in quality winemaking.”

 

Quote of the month

Victoria Beckham, noted arbiter of, apparently, anything she decides, has declared, via Twitter (unsurprisingly), that "Peppermint tea is the new Champagne!" (Exclamation point hers.) Make of this what you will.

Free-marketing

Everybody’s talking about creating jobs, but marketing departments, ever busy, are actually doing something about it. . .
       The Co-Op supermarket chain has introduced a new flavour of crisps (chips, to my American friends), just what a discerning world has been waiting for: Sea Salt and Chardonnay Wine Vinegar.
       Constellation, formerly one of the world’s largest wine businesses, has sold off most of its portfolio, including Australian brands like Hardys and U.S. brands like Paul Masson, Echo Falls, Robert Mondavi, and Ravenswood. The sort-of new company has been renamed Accolade, a name that “reflects our global mission,” say the new owners, who have just launched Echo Falls Spritz, a mix of wine and sparkling water, in cans; there are two flavours so far, Zinfandel and Pinot Grigio.
       Bordeaux is to re-claim the word “claret,” long a British generic term for red Bordeaux wine, and use it for lesser wines, or as a spokesman said, “To re-invigorate the everyday drinking category of Bordeaux.” (Translation: To sell the cheap stuff that even the Chinese aren’t buying.)

South Africa shines

Wines of South Africa laid on a dinner at Ransome’s Dock for sommeliers from Canada and the U.S. last week. Chef Martin Lam’s menu (Lincolnshire smoked eel and fingerling potatoes, duck breast with braised lentils and aromatic vegetables, and apple and Calvados tart) was quite nicely compatible with the wide range of first-rate wines on show. Two whites really stood out: 2007 Sequillo “White” (probably the best possible name for a blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Viognier, which ought to be a muddle, but thanks to the skill of Eben Sadie, is a triumphant, vibrant wine with a seemingly endless finish), and a 2010 Circumstance Sauvignon Blanc—no cat pee and a nice taut touch of gooseberry, amazingly balanced.      
       Among the standout reds was the first Pinotage I can recall  ever pouring a second glass of, Painted Wolf “Guillermo” 2009, made by Jeremy Borg (10 percent of it Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache), and possessed of warmth, robust flavour, and good grip, and Spice Route “Malabar” 2002, a Merlot-Syrah-Grenache blend from Charles Back that managed to be big, bold, and elegant at the same time. Vin de Constance 2005 rounded out a good evening in style, as it always does.