Winston Churchill at the table

The formal British meal of high society in the early 20th century unfolds in successive courses: a clear soup, a fish, then the 'joint' (the large roasted piece carved at table), followed by a sweet dessert. A very British peculiarity: between the sweet and the liqueurs comes the savoury, a final savoury course—a pungent cheese or spicy bite—supposed to 'cleanse the palate' for port and cigars. Churchill's table, at Chartwell as at 10 Downing Street, faithfully followed this structure.

More than a wine, a loyalty: Churchill had a legendary attachment to Pol Roger, willingly drinking it from lunchtime and even naming a racehorse after it. Its crisp acidity marked his table as much as the Cuban cigar and the horseradish that accompanied his roast.