Trump – Macron state dinner wines
Last night’s state dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte was the first of Donald Trump’s term. Would the current occupant of the White House shatter wine protocols at state dinners? Would the teetotaler whose name adorns a Virginia winery serve his own wine?
The White House has a tradition of serving only American wines at state dinners. This president was not going to put waves in that particular chardonnay glass–MAGA and all that. The menu included a chardonnay and a pinot noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the white from Domaine Serene and the red from Domaine Drouhin. The focus on Oregon is apt since it is an area that has attracted many French winemakers and makes many wines in a Burgundian style. The Drouhin family was the first French family to buy vineyard land in Oregon back in 1987. And perhaps because the White House Events usher who selects the wine likes symmetry, he put Domaine Serene on the menu as the family behind it bought a property in Burgundy in 2015.
The official announcement of the menu had some interesting verbiage, noting the vines at Domaine Serene were “a combination of French plants from Dijon.” The statement continues that the wine was “aged in 40 percent French oak barrels for more than 12 months”–what of the remaining 60%? The Domaine Serene site clarifies that the wine was aged in 40% *new* French oak barrels. That makes more sense. On the Domaine Drouhin “Laurène,” the state dinner site says that the wine was “fermented in French Oak barrels.” (Can you believe they found two wines made in America that were aged in French oak? :P) By contrast, the Domaine Drouhin site says that the wine was first “fermented with indigenous yeasts, and then placed into barrels (French oak, never more than 20% new).” Details!
The White House Events usher also has a predilection for pairing off-dry sparking wine with ice cream. So he subjected the diners to an off-dry sparkling wine with dessert. Hopefully, someone can have a summit with him to lay down all off-dry sparklers with dessert!
Also, check out how Trump is holding his wine glass–eegad, someone alert Robert Mueller of this wine crime!
Full menu after the jump.
Also, check out this video of Emmanuel Macron’s wine tasting skills in action.
Full Menu:
First Course:
Goat Cheese Gateau
Tomato Jam
Buttermilk Biscuit Crumbles
Young Variegated Lettuces
Domaine Serene Chardonnay “Evenstad Reserve” 2015 (find this wine)
Main Course:
Rack of Spring Lamb
Burnt Cipollini Soubise
Carolina Gold Rice Jambalaya
Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir “Laurene” 2014 (find this wine)
Dessert:
Nectarine Tart
Crème Fraîche Ice Cream
Schramsberg Demi-Sec Cremant (find this wine)
Full “leaders and liters of wine” coverage
On April 25th, 2018 at 6:14 pm ,RobinC wrote:
Mike Grgich dessert wine would be fun since Mr. Grgich was an immigrant.
I would like to know who ate and drank more, Melania or Brigitte.
On April 25th, 2018 at 10:53 pm ,plugger wrote:
According to the Domaine Serene website the 2015 Evanstad Reserve Chardonnay saw 40% new French oak for 13 months. Given it’s a flagship Chardonnay I’d expect the other 60% was in non new barrique and not stainless.
On April 27th, 2018 at 5:48 pm ,Dr. Vino wrote:
The jambalaya has come under criticism from a Louisiana senator in attendance who said, “the jambalaya was not jambalaya—it may have been rice pilaf but it wasn’t jambalaya.”
http://www.grubstreet.com/2018/04/state-house-dinner-jambalaya-gate.html
On May 5th, 2018 at 11:07 am ,Brian wrote:
I’ve seen other photos of the dinner, and all of the guests had gold-rimmed stemware. Why is the President using a plain glass? Is it because (possibly) that he was not drinking wine and wanted his glassware to be different from the others’ glasses?