Obama serves Hollande ‘cheap’ US wine

The choice of American wine served by US President Barack Obama to French President François Hollande at last night’s state dinner has been slammed as “cheap”.

Barack Obama’s wine choice for Françoise Hollande has been slammed as “cheap”. Photo credit: Eric Feferberg/AFP

While former President George W. Bush once served former French President Nicholas Sarkozy a US$100 2004 Dominus Cabernet blend, Obama has been accused by the Washington Examiner of “going down the Costco route.”

The three wines served at the dinner – Morlet La Proportion Doree 2011 from the Napa Valley, Chester-Kidder Red Blend 2009 from Washington’s Columbia Valley and sparkling wine Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay from Monticello in Virginia had a combined retail price of just $125.

To pair, Hollande enjoyed American Osetra caviar, dry-aged Colorado ribeye beef and a layer cake featuring a Hawaiian chocolate ganache.

“These are odd wines to serve at a state dinner. Obama seems to have made a conscious choice to bring down the price of the wine, which is unfortunate,” wine writer Tyler Colman mused on his Dr.Vino blog.

“Given the White House policy of only serving American wines, they really should showcase the best of what America is making, irrespective of price,” he added.

Before the dinner, attended by the likes of film producer J.J. Abrams and Hollywood actor Bradley Cooper, Obama made reference to his passion for French wine.

“We Americans have grown to love all things French – the films, the food, the wine – especially the wine,” he said.