A Peek Into the French State Dinner Hosted By the President
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
Last week an event was held that I’ve enjoyed reporting on in past columns: a Presidential State Dinner.
The longstanding tradition of entertaining world leaders at the White House typically provides a valuable insight into the current relationships between nations and their representatives.
Last week brought to the forefront the longstanding alliance between the United States and France. American President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted a White House gala in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.
As one might expect, the 339 guests were regaled with the pomp and circumstance that surrounds such dinners: a well-curated menu, carefully selected domestic wines and all the glitter that emanates from ballroom gowns and toothy smiles.
Jill Biden planned much of the dinner, stating: “The design of this dinner was inspired by the shared colors of our flags, red, white and blue, and our common values, liberty and democracy, equality and fellowship.”
President Biden emphasized this close alliance in his Champagne toast: “Vive la France and God bless America.”
Before I divulge the menu, I believe a brief background of state dinners is in order.
Before there was fine American cuisine and wine, state dinners invariably focused on French-themed menus.
Fast forward to the mid-20th century. President Johnson began the current tradition of serving only American wines. It wasn’t until the Clinton administration that state dinners became exclusively American-cuisine based. Our regional foods and wines are finally a showcase for visiting dignitaries and heads of state.
On to the American-focused menu:
First Course: Butter-poached Maine lobster paired with California-sourced American osetra caviar, garnished with celery crisp. Also served were delicata squash ravioli with tarragon sauce.
Main Course: Calotte of beef (the cut of meat wrapped around the rib-eye). The beef was sourced from ranches in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Virginia. The calotte was served with a shallot marmalade and was accompanied by triple-cooked butter potatoes, sunchokes and creamed watercress with a red wine reduction.
Cheese Course: Three artisanal cheeses, served with macerated grapes, grenadine walnuts and honey harvested from the White House hives. The cheeses:
- Rogue River Blue cheese (one of my all-time favorites) from Oregon’s Rogue River Creamery/
- Humboldt Fog goat cheese (another one of my all-time favorites) from Cypress Grove in California.
- Deer Creek Cheese Cheddar (I haven’t tasted this one – yet) from a small Sheboygan, Wis. producer.
Dessert: Orange chiffon cake, roasted pears with citrus sauce and crème fraiche ice cream. And presented with distinctly red, white and blue decorations (Google a photo).
The Wines: The selection process was innovative and brilliantly pulled off. Three wines produced in California, all with strands of French influence. The order of service wasn’t clear but seems self-evident.
- Roederer Estate Brut Rosé NV sparkling wine. Founded in Anderson Valley in 1982 by the Rouzaud family of Champagne Louis Roederer, this house has been a premier producer since the 18th century. Clearly the wine for the gala toast (except for our teetotaler President, whose beverage of choice is ginger ale).
- Newton Unfiltered 2018 Napa Valley Chardonnay. An American favorite for decades, the wine was first produced by American Peter Newton in 1977. Now part of the French luxury goods group LVMH, this vintage was produced under the watchful guidance of its French-born general manager, Jean-Baptiste Rivail. An obvious match for the poached lobster course. And a favorite for any or all of the cheeses.
- Anakota 2019 Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. A winery under the umbrella of the Jackson Family Wines behemoth, this famous Sonoma County small production, single vineyard wine was crafted by Pierre Seillan, who emigrated from France in the 1990s. Not just a perfect match for calotte, but perhaps for one of the cheeses, especially the blue.
Topping off the evening was musical guest singer Jon Batiste, a New Orleans native. The First Lady summed up the evening, referring to the city and the nation as “shaped by both French and American culture.” The State Dinner embodied these accolades.
Nick Antonaccio is a 45-year Pleasantville resident. For over 25 years, he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. Nick is a member and program director of the Wine Media Guild of wine journalists. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
