For those not tuned into the world of the wine conoisseur, it can be like a foreign country. Its own language, own culture, traditions; with words like palate, tannins, bouquet, malolactic fermentation, and lees stirring, thrown around like slang. In truth, all you need are pretty attuned taste buds (most of us have those), patience and a curiosity to belong to the world of wine.

En route to this year’s Distilled and Chilled wines and spirits showcase at the Hilton, Thursday Food was able to sit in on several regional wine seminars and sample some of the wines on offer.

Australian wines

Hardys leads all Australian wine brands, a position built up over the last 150 years since Englishman Thomas Hardy first went to Australia.

Much of the down home ‘G’ day style of the founders is reflected in its wines (as Thursday Food fondly remembers when scion and chairman Bill Hardy visited Jamaica last year).

Presenter Hamish Baldwinson (senior vice-president at Constellation, Hardys’ parent) showed that same flair and knowledgeability as he took us through the ‘bump’ that is southern Australia, prime wine country. The Hardys family of brands includes the Stamps brand (which has been available here in Jamaica for a couple of years), the Nottage Hill line, the whimsically named Oomoo, the Ebenezer and E&E lines and others.

Of course, when one speaks to Australian wine, the conversation invariably turns to Shiraz, and the Hardys team graciously presented two Shiraz styles in particular which are not well known to the consuming public.

The E7E Black Pepper Shiraz proved a delightful surprise, with its intense, almost pungent nose giving way to a remarkably smooth and layered finish. Hardys Sparkling Shiraz has become the unofficial ‘party wine’ of Australia, used at New Year’s Eve and other festive occasions. With another major milestone – 150 years of wine exports – coming up next year, one can be sure that they’ll be breaking out the ‘red bubbly’ Down Under.

California wines

The Gallo brands

If the Constellation group is the 800-pound gorilla of the wine business, then the family wine business founded by brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo could well be termed the ‘giant rooster’ (‘gallo’ means rooster in Spanish).

They make and export a number of excellent wines, thus helping to keep the California wine industry at the forefront of global activity and consumption.

As Luis Ortega, 20-year veteran of the Caribbean market explained, the wines on offer on this particular evening ranged from the entry-level Carlo Rossi White, which found favour with many in the audience, given that its drinkability is ideal for those seeking wine for refreshment.

Those interested in wine for its own sake would be better advised to go for the Turning Leaf Sonoma County Chardonnay or the Cabernet Sauvignon – both having sufficient body and character to make them ideal as either ‘dinner companions’ or enjoyed by themselves, whether in a quiet moment after a long day or among friends.