By Ernie Weir
NAPA, California — I was not at the White House ceremony last Wednesday, June 13, at which time President Obama honored Israeli President Peres with the US Medal of Freedom. Nevertheless, my family and I were immensely proud of the honor bestowed by our President upon Israeli President Peres. Our wines have been honored to be served at the White House numerous times since the first occasion in 1980 when President Reagan hosted Prime Minister Begin. Every President since has seen our wines at the White House, including President Obama who has been served our wines several times including at the White House seders since 2009. I have personally never been at any of the occasions though friends have been and have sent me mementos which we proudly display alongside the various menus from these many occasions over the course of the last 30 years on two crowded walls in our tasting room.
My wife, Irit, our youngest daughter, Tamar, and I did visit and received a private tour of the White House in 2010. Our friend and my former colleague, Daniel Shanks, who is currently the Head Usher at the White House, hosted us for a very interesting tour of the White House including the kitchen and wine cellar. Daniel and I frequently discuss the upcoming calender of events and guests so as to provide the finest of Napa Valley’s wines from our winery for these occasions. Indeed, the beauty of our wine as a fine Napa Valley wine that is also kosher has helped us and the White House to enjoy our wines on an ongoing basis.
Generally speaking the White House usually selects from our dry white wines and moderately tannin red wines. Due to the typical meals these wines fit best. The 2010 Lodi Roussanne hails from the Ripken Vineyard on Terminus Island within the Lodi AVA (American Viticultural Area) and is comprised of 85% Roussanne and 15% Marsanne. Due to the extra heat of the Lodi summer and early Fall, Rousanne and Marsanne, achieve full ripeness which is important to develop the full varietal character in the resulting wine. The straw color, light hay aroma and full bodied mouth feel balanced by moderate grape acidity makes for a refreshing white wine that pairs well with most first courses, either vegetable or fish based.
The 2008 Napa Valley Pinot Noir hails from the Mayeri Vineyard in Yountville, the source of many of our Pinots from the last decade. The wine’s luscious mouth feel and moderate tannin structure balanced by the fresh strawberry fruitiness makes for a delightful Pinot Noir which can be enjoyed either slightly chilled or as the main event when matching with Salmon as in this case. Unfortunately, this vineyard was removed after the harvest of 2008 but since 2011 we source Pinot Noir from a site in the Coombsville AVA which offers us great potential to continue to produce lovely Pinots for the foreseeable future.
Other Hagafen and Prix Napa Valley wines.served on previous occasions include our 2007 Brut Cuvée Sparkling wine served at the Jewish American Cultural Awards, 2011; 2006 Prix Chardonnay served to Prime Minister Netanyahu in 2009; and 2005 Prix Syrah served at the White House Seders in 2009 and 2010.
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Weir is the winemaker at Hagafen Cellars in Napa.