Gujarat-born Raj Patel's $75 bottle of red wine steals the show at US State dinner for PM Modi
Red wine from Patel Winery owned by Raj Patel was served at the US State dinner hosted for PM Modi. Photo: PATEL Napa Valley
US President Joe Biden and his wife First Lady Jill Biden hosted an official US State dinner for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 22. On the menu of the state dinner was the 'Patel Red Blend 2019', a red wine from the Patel Winery in Napa Valley that is owned by Gujarat-born Raj Patel.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a three-day state visit to the United States. It was in his honour that the US President and First Lady hosted an official dinner on June 22 at the White House, where Chef Nina Curtis curated a special vegetarian menu.
- Guests included several notable personalities such as Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Nancy Pelosi, Mukesh and Nita Ambani, Anand Mahindra among others.
Here's the full menu of what was served at the State Dinner in the White House:
- Marinated Millet and Grilled Corn Kernel Salad
- Compressed Watermelon
- Tangy Avocado Sauce
- Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Creamy Saffron-infused Risotto
- Sumac-roasted Sea Bass (Upon Request)
- Lemon-Dill Yoghurt Sauce
- Crisped Millet Cakes
- Summer Squashes
- Rose and Cardamom-infused Strawberry Shortcake
- Stone Tower Chardonnay "Kristi" 2021
- Patel Red Blend 2019
- Domain Carneros Brut Rosé
A red blend from the Patel Winery, Napa Valley
Patel Red Blend 2019
According to the Patel Winery website, the Patel Red Blend 2019 is a fine blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and its price is $75 a bottle. This red wine has red fruit characteristics including bing cherry and red plum.
Who is Raj Patel?
- The Patel Winery in Napa Valley, California, is owned by Raj Patel, who was born in Gujarat and moved to North California in 1972 with his family.
- Raj Patel studied at University of California, Davis, and did an internship with Robert Mondavi Winery that kickstarted his interest in fine wine.
- He then founded Patel Winery in 2007.
Patel Wines
At the start, Patel Wines' first release was a 100 cases of a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.
- This wine was reviewed by Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate, and he gave it a score of 95.
- The Wine Advocate has given a score to the subsequent vintages at 94 or above.
Raj Patel, after building relationship with growers, was also able to add limited-production wines to the Patel Wines brand including a Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon, a Atlas Peak Malbec, and a Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc.
Currently, Patel Winery produces 1,000 cases and they sell out every year.
The PATEL Napa Valley creates Bordeaux-varietal wines.