By: Virginie Boone

California wines first appeared at the White House in the 19th century. President Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) visited California during his presidency and enjoyed sweet red wines. Franklin D. Roosevelt came to San Francisco during the Golden Gate International Exposition and enjoyed lunch with 33 California wines. John F. Kennedy, while in office, served Inglenook Pinot Chardonnay and Almaden Cabernet Sauvignon.

“As the fortunes of California’s wine industry have risen, so have presidents’ appreciation of the Golden State’s products, with California wines being favored in the White House throughout the twentieth century and into the present day,” writes Frederick J. Ryan, Jr. in Wine And the White House: A History.

It was the Wine Institute in the late 1950s in particular that sought to supply American wine to the White House. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, “eager to showcase America’s accomplishments in the post-World War II era, accepted the offer.”

During his administration, a variety of California wines began to appear at official functions. Kennedy declined the Wine Institute’s offer, but his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, “reinstated the arrangement and built a close relationship with the institute as it grew to become an important organization in the nation’s capital.”

It was such a close relationship that Johnson soon served California’s finest wines exclusively, declaring an All-American Decree in 1968 to mandate that only American wines be served at functions such as State Dinners, of which he hosted 53 while in office. Known famously to enjoy ample pourings of Cutty Sark Scotch with soda, Johnson was an unlikely wine ally yet an important one.

“His decision to showcase California wine at the Executive Mansion proved significant, as it provided a crucial boost to California vineyards’ reputation,” Ryan adds. “By the time Ronald Reagan took office, the number of vineyards in the state was the highest it had ever been.”

Don W. McColly, president of the Wine Institute in 1969 agreed, stating at the time that, “no President has done more to further the interest of the American wine industry than President Johnson.”

This meant selecting the right American wines for each White House occasion. For President Ronald Reagan, who had served eight years as governor of California, this was a chance to showcase the quality and variety of the state’s wines.

“During his time in Sacramento, Reagan had established a close relationship with specialist David Berkley of the city’s Corti Brothers gourmet food and wine shop,” the book details. “Berkley always strived to recommend wines that were excellent, but also that were new or from lesser-known vineyards and may not have been served at the White House previously.”

Berkley continued on as a consultant during the George H.W. Bush years, while Bill Clinton brought on Napa Valley veteran Daniel Shanks. Shanks became the first official food and beverage usher in the White House, a position he held through the Clinton, second Bush, and Obama administrations, and even into the beginning of Trump’s first years, through October 2018.

“All beverages selected for the White House are produced in the United States with the exception of some back-bar alcohols,” Shanks explains. “The wines served are generally full-bodied and easy on the palate with wide appeal. Over the years I noticed that for guests Chardonnay is the preferred white and Pinot Noir the preferred red.”

That was except during President George W. Bush’s time when more beef dishes were served – “those moments cried for the power of Cabernet Sauvignon,” he notes.

First Ladies came increasingly into the mix during Shanks’ tenure as well, with both Hillary Clinton and Melania Trump enjoying wine with meals, “often preferring wines with the character and depth that reflect the world they inhabit.”

It’s interesting to note White House protocol around wine service: only one wine served at lunch, a red, white, and sparkling served at dinner, while white-tie State Dinners required the addition of a fourth wine to go with a fourth course.

“The most general rule on consumption for 130 guests (typical State Dining Room numbers) is four cases (48 bottles) of the white and three cases (36 bottles) of the red,” Shanks says. “Three cases of the sparkling wine is the rule, unless the wine will continue to be offered during the entertainment.”

Presidents also often served California wines while traveling abroad. President Jimmy Carter hosted a dinner at the American embassy in Mexico City in 1979 in which the wines served included a Korbel Extra Dry.

At a dinner Trump hosted in England for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall in 2019, an Iron Horse 2016 Heart of the Vineyard Chardonnay, North Block 2016 Pinot Noir, and Joy 2005 Brut were on the table.

Whether a president enjoyed wine or not, the White House has been a steady venue for showcasing the best America has to offer, including many wines from Sonoma County, from a Van der Kamp Vineyard Pinot Noir to a Freeman Chardonnay, and many, many others in between.