5. As part of a carefully selected menu and dinner ceremony, since the Kennedy Administration non-American wines are not permitted to be served at the White House
Menus for state dinners, consisting of four courses and served on custom-made White House china, are painstakingly written by hand by the White House Graphics and Calligraphy Office. Pursuant to a policy implemented during the Kennedy Administration, only American wines are permitted to be served at the White House; consequently, guests are treated to sparkling wines rather than the customary champagne. This tradition has been maintained to this day, with First Lady Melania Trump selecting a Crémant from California as her choice of wine during the most recent state dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Atypically for American society, state dinners at the White House have continued to employ the use of finger bowls between the third and final courses. This custom has been reputedly extremely confusing for some American guests in attendance, with staff placed on alert to assist anyone unsure. In fact, at a state dinner during the Roosevelt Administration a guest mistakenly believed the water to was to be drunk. Sparing her poor guest from ridicule, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt followed suit and drank from hers also. Furthermore, tables at state dinners at the White House have traditionally been segregated by gender. However, during the Carter Administration this policy was temporarily discontinued, allowing for married couples to be seated together if they so wished.
