This controversy was pretty much dead in the water as soon as it hit the internet, but what I find interesting about President Bush serving a $500 bottle of wine to his G20 guests, 
is not how expensive the wine is, but how much better he could have done than the Schaefer 2003 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. I understand that they have to stick to American wines at the White House (although that wasn’t the rule until the Johnson administration), which drastically limits the opportunities for truly good wine. But if I were the cellar master I think I might choose a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the 1970s, like the Chateau Montelena from 1978, being sold for a mere $150.
I’m curious about the White House cellar in general. I found this article which interviews the White House “usher,” a man in charge of the wine cellar named Daniel Shanks, who was hired by the Clintons and has worked there ever since. His view seems to be that state dinners are too short and chaotic to serve an understated aged wine, and instead he prefers something with “youth and vigor” to pack a punch and make an impression. It sounds like the Clintons made a bad choice!
Interestingly, the Clintons were the ones to shift the White House cuisine from French food to American, and hired a man named Walter Schieb to be the chef overseeing this transition.
November 19, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Ahh feeyull yer pain.
November 20, 2008 at 12:31 am
I read that Rick Bayless might be Obama’s chef. Then the food would shift to Mexican!
November 20, 2008 at 7:37 am
Thing about choosing a wine like the 1978 Montelena is that you could probably round up a case or two but would they all be in drinking condition? The Hillside select is a sure bet and isn’t too hard to find in drinkable condition because it’s a young wine. I think it’s a great choice! Have you ever tasted the stuff? Hillside select is arguably the best Napa Cabernet. I get where you going though, He could have served something really tasty from Bordeaux for that price tag. Perhaps a second growth or something.
November 21, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Count me as another fan of California wines from the 1970s. Tasted a 1978 Ridge Monte Bello recently that was drinking beautifully and very Bordeaux-like on the nose and palate. Also opened a 1970 Chateau Souverain a couple months back. This bottle wasn’t in the best shape, but very fun to drink and still alive. Loved the eucalyptus notes in this one – sadly a characteristic that most modern cabs try to avoid. I’ll also say that I’m a huge Shafer fan, both with recent bottlings and vintages back to the 1970s and 80s. If I were Prezident and looking to serve a modern cab for state dinners, I’d opt for the 2002 Hillside Select … But methinks it would be fun to get some locals together for a tasting of older Cali. cabs.
March 20, 2009 at 10:57 pm
where can I buy the 1978 montelena cab? I have been looking everywhere….