Let them eat cake

By GottaLaff

Shafer Cabernet “Hillside Select” 2003 can go for as much as $500 a bottle.

Maybe the post title should have been, "Let them drink $500 wine":

[W]orld leaders who are in town to discuss the economic crisis are set to dine in style Friday night while sipping wine listed at nearly $500 a bottle.

According to the White House, tonight's dinner to kick off the G-20 summit includes such dishes as "Fruitwood-smoked Quail," "Thyme-roasted Rack of Lamb," and "Tomato, Fennel and Eggplant Fondue Chanterelle Jus."

To wash it all down, world leaders will be served Shafer Cabernet “Hillside Select” 2003, a wine that sells at $499 on Wine.com.

The exceedingly pricey wine may seem a bit peculiar given leaders are in Washington to discuss a possible world financial meltdown, but Sally McDonough, a spokeswoman for Laura Bush, said it "was the most appropriate wine that we had in the White House wine cellar for such a gathering.

Yeah, we wouldn't want them to bring out them $399 bottles. That would be tacky.

McDonough also said the White House purchased the wine at a "significantly lower price" than what it is listed at.

"Of course the White House gets its wine at wholesale prices," she said. "Given the intimate size of the group, it was an appropriate time for The White House to use this stock."

So they paid, what, about $250 a pop wholesale? What a bargain.

I hope they remembered to purchase their quail at Costco... in bulk. After all, that's a heckuva big group they've invited in for supper.