The State Dinner: Obama Needs a New Sommelier

Apparently there's some fuss in DC about who was invited and who was not invited to the State Dinner with the Prime Minister of India. Whatever.

In perusing the official menu for the State Dinner, however, I came away appalled. It offers a choice of two entrees:

Roasted Potato Dumplings with Tomato Chutney, Chick Peas and Okra
or
Green Curry Prawns, Caramelized Salsify, With Smoked Collard Greens

Okra? Collard greens? Not exactly haute cuisine. But that's not my concern. It's good American fare, so more power to them.

My problem is the wine they propose to serve: "2007 Granache, Beckmen Vineyards, Santa Ynez, California." In the first place, they misspelled the grape variety: It's grenache, not granache. (The same mistake appears to have been made on the menu cards on the table.) But given how lousy a speller I am, let's give them a pass on this one.

In the second place, grenache is a red wine. It is used primarily as a blending grape. It's fruity, fleshy, but generally doesn't produce great wines, although there are a few French, Aussie, and US exceptions to that rule. For example, Beckmen Vineyard is one of the Rhone Rangers who are making premium Grenache. Their Grenache wines tend to be high alcohol (15+ plus), with flavor associations including kirsh, licorice, spices, earth, and game. Robert Parker typically scores them in the high 80s or low 90s.

I suspect the Grenache will be a very nice match for the potato entrée. As long as the entree skews towards Fall flavor associations, the grenache should be okay.

As a match for Curried Prawns, however, it will be an unmitigated disaster. The tannins and the heat of the curry will bring out the worst in each other. The high alcohol won't help with the spice either. High alcohol wines tend to taste hot to begin with. Coupled with the spice heat, the match will not be at all refreshing.

And then we add prawns to the mix. Red wine is almost never a good match for shrimp or any other shellfish. True, a bunch of chefs in the nouvelle cuisine tradition insist on trying it, but it almost never works out very well. A high alcohol, high tannins wine with earthy flavors is NOT what I would want to drink with a delicate food like prawns.

All in all, not a very impressive outing by the White House sommelier.

Comments

[Steven Taylor]

Lobbying for a new job in case the riots at UCLA get out of hand? ;)

[Freddy Hill]

Not to speak of the risks involved in serving a curry to Indian guests. Would you dare cooking risotto for visitors from Milan, or Peking duck for your guests from Beijing, or boullabaisse for your good friends just arrived from Aix-en-Provence?

[Greg Barnes]

I differ on one point. Speling maters.

[C.E. Petit]

They're both Indian (or Anglo-Indian) dishes -- the first is a common item on "curry house" menus outside of London. Too, okra and collard greens (or close relative methi) get thrown into Indian cooking almost at random.

But we don't care what they're serving on the White House lawn. We want to know what the Perfesser is serving at his house...

[Andrew Breskin]

Could it not have been Grenache Blanc?

[Steve Hamlin]

Interesting comments and well-formed contrary opinions at http://www.businessinsider.com/obamas-state-dinner-is-serving-the-wrong-wine-2009-11

[Joe]

I am thankful our President has his priorities straight.

Okay, maybe not.

But I am thankful for Professor Bainbridge's recommendations on corporate law, politics, and of course--food and wine.

[Joe]

http://tiny.cc/1fWoh

[Jack]

you made the news 'cross pond! ignore the first minute and a half or so on the google image snafu of michelle obama and find yourself quoted re: the state dinner:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaMtFMNcaI0

[save_the_rustbelt]

Sounds like the President needs some better security.

Party crashing the White House - gutsy.