Wines for Entertaining Heads of State

WHAT TO SERVE WHEN ENTERTAINING ROYALTY AND HEAD OF STATE
As many of us struggle to decide what wines to serve to impress our guests, and show a bit of one upmanship at our latest dinner party, it occurred to me that being The Queen, the President of the United States, or another Head of State, the choices you make, given that it will be public knowledge, must be fraught with diplomatic danger. What becomes clear however, is that it not not always necessary to break the bank to impress.
I raise the issue as Kate and William's visit down under has attracted the expected press attention worldwide. It is of course incumbent upon those that represent their fellow citizens in the international arena to showcase the best of what is on offer, thereby raising the profile of the lucky producers, of both wine and food, that have been selected.
In the case of William and Kate, during their visit to New Zealand one key event was a trip to the Central Otago wine region on the south island, billed as 'the most important wine tasting of the century'. This was a smart move, as although New Zealand wines have become very popular here (and rightly so) most of us will only have sampled wines from Marlborough.
Pinot Noir is the leading grape variety in Central Otago, accounting for 70%, although other varieties, such as pinot gris, are also planted. They were hosted by Amisfield Winery for a tasting of over 30 wines, and although many are not available here I have located the 2007 Amisfield Pinot Gris, at £25 a bottle, from HangingDitch Wine Merchants in Manchester.

Back home William's granny, The Queen, was busy presiding over the State Banquet held in honour of the landmark visit by Irish President Mr. Michael Higgins. The wines that were served prove what canny operators the royal catering team are.

The first was the 2009 Ridgeview Cuvée Merret Grosvenor, Blanc de Blancs, a sparkling wine costing just £29.95, from this vineyard in the South Downs founded by Mike and Chris Roberts only 20 years ago. They specialise in growing classic grape varieties to make high quality, award winning, champagne style wines. The trademark MERRET is in honour of the Englishman, Christopher Merret who presented a paper in 1662 on the process of making sparkling wines by the 'traditional method' of a second fermentation in the bottle, 30 years before it was documented in champagne. Tasting notes for the wine served at the State Banquet describe it as having persistent bubbles with an exceptional mousse, a refreshing palate of citrus and white tropical fruits, and a beautifully balanced lingering finish. An excellent match for the halibut no doubt.
English wine makers are not known for their red wines, so it was unsurprising that a French wine should be chosen to follow, complementing the beef nicely. The wine chosen was the 1990 Chateau Leoville-Barton. Made from a classic caberent sauvignon and merlot blend, this 2ème Grand Cru Classé from St. Julien is certainly not cheap at around £175, but is very rich and velvety in texture, with a meaty seductive character.

What is more interesting however, is the choice of it. Someone had clearly done their homework; the Barton family can trace their roots back to 1722, when Thomas Barton left Ireland for Bordeaux, to start out as a wine merchant.

Saving the best until last, was the 1966 Quinta do Noval vintage port, hardly surprising given the long standing Brtish connection with the port industry. This complex wine, with its soft, warm and intense palate, reminiscent of liquorice and old furniture, will have been sure to impress, especially as it is around £850 a bottle, although we can be sure it was purchased sometime ago and would have come from the Royal household's cellars. The good news is that later vintages can be had for a much more affordable £30 a bottle, and under. What I was unable to establish was whether or not the port served at the State Banquet was Noval's 'nacional', wine made from a very small parcel of land in the middle of the Noval vineyard, untouched by phylloxera, giving the wine a unique and distinctive personality.

I must make more of an effort to ensure I receive an invite in future, as it just goes to show that it is the thought behind the choices, rather than the cost, that often can make or break the occasion.
Which reminds me, I fell into my own trap recently and purchased a bottle of wine because it was called 'Linda', and I have to say it was pretty dreadful. That'll teach me.