Dr Vino's wine blog

While German Chancellor Angela Merkel may get (unwanted) pats on the back from George Bush–literally–will she win plaudits from Jacques Chirac for her wine choice? “Hell yes” seems to be her answer.

As the current chair of both the EU presidency and the G8, Merkel has to set the agenda not only for talks on trade and the EU constitution–but also the wine list for the formal dinners at the summits.

Chirac may be her toughest critic since he was unable to restrain himself when Britain held the EU presidency a few years ago. Referring to the British, he told Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schröder, “You can’t trust people who cook as badly as that. After Finland, it’s the country with the worst food.”

While trying to keep Chirac from making off-handed remarks in front of open mics may be tough, Merkel had no trouble to find a riesling for the gatherings according to DeutscheWelle (although they fail to mention what it is).

But the red was more of a challenge. She chose a 2003 “Assmannshausen Höllenberg Spätburgunder,” a pinot noir from the Rheingau region to pour at the EU summit in March and the G8 summit in June. The wine’s name literally translates as “Hell’s Mountain,” a reference to the steepness of the vineyard where the grapes grew. And with an a New Worldy 15 percent alcohol, if enough of the dignitaries drink the pinot noir, they may end up “Sideways” before the end of the conference. One hell of a summit, you might say.

Chirac will be on hand in March but his successor will represent France in June . We will be watching for stylistic differences. George Bush, a teetotaler since his 40th birthday, will perhaps stick with the Gerolsteiner.

Related:
“Leaders and liters of wine: French presidential contenders 2007” [Dr. V]

tags: wine | angela merkel | diplomacy