Comments on: Wine confidential: state dinner with Angela Merkel

By: Dr. Vino

Dr. Vino — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:58:33 +0000

Thanks Woodward Canyon for letting us know.

Dr. Konstantin Frank winery is touting the fact that some of their wines were served for Chancellor Merkel, at a lunch though with Biden (who is a teetotaler).

“The luncheon featured our Chateau Frank Célèbre Rosé, 2010 Grüner Veltliner, 2010 Semi-Dry Riesling and 2008 Lemberger.”

But the other dinner wines remain a mystery!

By: Woodward Canyon

Woodward Canyon — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:36:30 +0000

We were honored to have the Woodward Canyon 2009 Washington State Chardonnay served at this dinner. No word on which course it was served with, though.

By: Dr. Vino

Dr. Vino — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:56:49 +0000

Christian – quite a post that you did on your site!

Alan – yes, and federal Chancellor to boot!

Joe – yes, it would be good to showcase some of the excellent American micro brews. But perhaps a state dinner is not the place to do it, even if it is outdoors?

Tom – I do not really think the usher was trying to keep it ia secret. Clearly a white and a red were served–look at the above picture. The most likely explanation is that the wines were not selected when the menu was printed. If that’s the case, it seems that someone was slacking…

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:59:11 +0000

I don’t know that it’s an attempt to keep everything secret — it could just be that they hadn’t decided exactly which wines to serve (often a last-minute decision, even at events like these) or checking to see that they could get enough of what they wanted.

I sell wine to a big DC catering company and have received plenty of last-minute calls when a wine from another supplier didn’t work out. The White House obviously does its own, but I can see how the same thing could happen. But since the dinner is over you should be able to find out what wines were actually served.

By: Terroirist » Daily Wine News: File a FOIA!

Terroirist » Daily Wine News: File a FOIA! — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:03:51 +0000

[...] wild ramp puree; and lots more. Strangely, each course was served with “an American wine.” Dr. Vino wonders if the “usher at the White House grown tired of the slings and arrows from the blogosphere.” I [...]

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 02:56:23 +0000

You could also argue a beer dinner with the German chancellor, due to the immense contributions to America’s brewing industry (and its affinity for Lager styles). Plus, Obama loves beer, right?

By: Alan

Alan — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 02:33:33 +0000

Barboursville Pinot Grigio with the salad and Octagon with the steak. Local food deserves (relatively) local wine.

Minor nit: I think it’s Chancellor rather than PM.

By: Christian G.E. Schiller

Christian G.E. Schiller — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 01:43:30 +0000

Yes, very strange that the White House did not release what wines were served. Here is posting on the wines President Obama could have served http://schiller-wine.blogspot.com/2011/06/chancellor-merkel-dined-and-wined-with.html

By: Robin C

Robin C — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:53:32 +0000

State Dinner Wine Pairings

Salad with Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Tuna (I wouldn’t eat the pickled stuff) with Chelahem Pinot Noir Stoller 2008
Filet with 2002 Abreu Cabernet Madrona Ranch
Apple Strudel with 2005 Iron Horse Russian Cuvee. It only sounds foreign.