Entertaining

Which wine to pour at an Inauguration celebration

From this side of the pond we've been watching the lavish preparations for the inauguration next week with amazement.  We greet our new Prime Minister the morning after the election with nothing more exciting than a strong cup of tea and toast, most political activists feeling more than a little fragile having stayed up half the night to watch the election results come through.

I was fascinated to read this article in the LA Times which reveals the details of the lavish ingauguration parties over the years, naturally being particularly impressed that Harry S Truman's banquet in 1949 which consisted of a six course meal with individual wine pairings.

The Obama menu is apparently a more modest three course affair, inspired by the favourite food of Abraham Lincoln: seafood stew consisting of scallops, shrimp (prawns to us Brits) and lobster with puff pastry, a two-bird main course of duck breast served with sour cherry chutney and herb-roasted pheasant with wild rice and molasses-whipped sweet potatoes and apple and cinnamon sponge cake and cream.  (The inaugural committee has even released the recipes should you want to replicate the meal for yourself)

The wines that will accompany this feast are a 2007 Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc and a 2005 Goldeneye Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley, both delicious wines which should prove sound matches though I'd have probably opted for a Chardonnay rather than a Sauvignon with the stew and the very sweet accompaniments to the main course will give the Pinot a run for its money. With the apple and cinnamon dessert they're serving a Korbel Natural Special Inauguration Cuvée  California 'Champagne' (a description that will infuriate the French) which I hope has a touch of sweetness to match the accompanying 'sweet cream glacé'

I wouldn't presume to advise our American friends what to drink on an occasion like this but for those of you Brits who feel like celebrating - and whatever your political views - it is a historic occasion, here are a few suggestions.

If you're drinking American wine please overlook the heavily-promoted, mass-market brands that give such a bad impression of what the country has to offer. Unfortunately that won't make your drinking cheap. The best deals at the moment seem to be at Majestic which is currently discounting Californian wines by 20% if you buy two or more though you do have to buy 12 bottles in total).

Reasonably priced bottles include the well-crafted Sonoma Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2006 down to £9.99 and Bonterra Zinfandel which is on offer at £7.99  but I'd trade up to something from their Fine Wine selection for this occasion which includes such celebrated names as Caymus, Joseph Phelps, Stag's Leap, Sean Thackrey - and Duckhorn (only the Merlot though this is a particular favourite of mine)

Majestic also stocks the extremeley drinkable Louis Roederer Quartet - to my mind one of the best sparkling wines made outside Champagne - which is currently on offer at £14.99 a bottle if you buy two or more - perfect for toasting the new president!

Finally no drink round-up would be complete without a suggestion from Obama's home city Chicago, also home to the splendid Goose Island brewery which I visited when I was there just over a year ago. The most widely available brew is the very appealing Goose Island IPA which you should be able to find in all specialist beer shops and wine merchants who have a decent beer offering. Not one for Obama's seafood stew but it should stand up well to those game-birds or simply a few nuts and pretzels as you follow the coverage on TV.

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