Inauguration Libation

George Bush wasn't exactly a fan of fine wine, and his staff tended to serve the wrong (read: super expensive) wine at the wrong time (read: economic collapse). The Obamas, on the other hand, enjoy a nice glass of wine. In fact, their Chicago home reportedly has a wine cellar that holds up to 1,000 bottles.

According to Forbes, the Inaugural Luncheon served a 2007 Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc (est $30) and a 2005 Goldeneye Pinot Noir (est $50). Duckhorn is also responsible for Goldeneye.

The one that surprised me, however, was a NV Korbel Natural Sparkling Wine (est $14). Really, I think they could have stretched their wings a little on that sparkler. Even staying domestic, they could have gone for a reasonably priced Chandon, Domaine Carneros, or Gloria Ferrer and still easily stayed under $50 a bottle. Personally, I don't like to skimp on my bubbly.

Thanks to the economy, sales of wine are dropping like flies. Obviously, Kevin & I can't support the wine-economy alone. But the wine industry is hoping that having wine drinkers in the White House will make a positive impresssion on those of you hesitant to spend your money on wine.

New Year’s Resolutions 2009

I'm not really the New Year's resolution type. Rather, I make them every year and every year I forget about them shortly thereafter. But I thought I'd give it another shot this year:

1. Get fit. I don't want to say "lose weight" but I do want to get healthy. In that spirit, I'm returning to my Autumn '08 strategy of giving up beer and dessert so that I can keep wine.

2. Get my side business actually working. There's a little ad over in the column. That way —>.
It mentions home tastings. I've never really announced it here on the blog, but I do offer this service and it's a heck of a lot of fun. I'd love to do it more often.

3. Figure out my day job. Since working with technology and wine does not seem to be an option for me here in Cincinnati, I need to figure out what to do with myself. Do I want a "real" job or continue as a freelance social media consultant? Is there even a "real" job out there in social media?

4. Figure out if any of the local print rags might want a freelance wine columnist. Anyone with tips on how to do that, please let me know!

5. This is the big one. I'm going to order the study guide, study for, and take the test for my Certified Wine Educator's certificate. Its not much, but since any test gives me a panic attack (no joke), it's a big deal for me.

Do you have any food and wine related resolutions? Restaurants you have to try? Foods you want to discover?

Let us know in the comments