First off, Eric Levine, he of CellarTracker fame, had dinner with the President at the White House?!
Impressive (and deserving) for a guy who’s built the go-to web site for wine tasting notes, but that’s not the only reason why this short piece from BusinessWeek caught my eye. If you want a small reveal of President Obama’s palate then we’ve finally got it. Clue: look West and you’d be off to a good start.
This particular state dinner featured two wines from Sonoma and one from Walla Walla. I guess the President’s somm didn’t quite have the gusto to reach for a bottle of Dana Estates Cab (we’ll need a tax increase first to bolster the vino budget line item).
The BW article cites CellarTracker as breaking this tannin-free story. And the wine list looked like this:
A 2009 Peter Michael Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille, Sonoma County, California (~ $97)
A 2008 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, Washington ($97)
And — Joy, eternal White House fav — Iron Horse Vineyards sparkling wine, Sonoma County, California (Priceless, of course)
I’m telling you, once again, Chard and Cab are the good ones; esoteric grapes be damned. It’s like football fundamentals. Run well, pass well. Chard well, Cab well.
Amazingly, there was nary a bottle of Toasted Head in sight. And it was probably wise to avoid the insta-Zombie that comes with Petite Sirah. I’m sure the Brits would not be amused.
[Eric’s tasting notes, with state dinner menu, from CellarTracker]