One cannot stomp a divot without a glass of something in the hand, be it Champagne, a cocktail, Sparkling Rosé from France or some good Italian Prosecco, all of which are exactly what spectators were sipping on Sunday at the Scotia Private Client Group Jamaica Open at the Kingston Polo Club.

A polo game is played by two opposing teams of four on an outdoor field. This playing area is the size of about three football fields, (300 by 160 yards) in six seven-minute periods called chukkers. Polo ponies run an average of four miles per chukker, compared to a derby at Caymanas where they only run about one and a quarter miles. Therefore, the ponies are switched out every chukker. These ponies are fast, so they do tear up the terrain in normal play.

Polo Tradition

The ceremonial divot stomping at half-time is one of the long-standing traditions in a polo match. Spectators wander all over the field stomping the torn-up turf. It’s fun and you can meet great people just wandering the field. Sean Gonzales, Top Shelf team, was on hand to make a few interesting cocktails with wines provided by sponsor Bin 26 Wine Bar. Guests in the Scotia Private Client Group VIP lounge enjoyed a wide range of great wines from around the world.

It was a hot day, so red wine might not have been the best choice; however, guests who insisted enjoyed a 2005 Clos Du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon. The deep, ruby red colour of this wine, hinting at black, is the first clue to its intensity. Vibrant aromas of ripe blackberry, spice and cassis mingle with notes of vanilla and toasted oak on the nose. Full-bodied and velvety on the palate, the flavours are bright and juicy, with hints of ripe blackberry, plums and clove. The wine’s persistent finish marries fruit, oak and tannin in perfect balance.

A great option for red wine lovers was the Barton & Guestier Sparkling Rosé. The wine was bright salmon-pink with a fine, delicate mousse. On the nose were strawberry, raspberry and gentle spice aromas. Rich, fresh cherry aromas led to a mouthful of freshly picked forest fruits. It went fast.

For white wine the selection was the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Valdadige DOC. This straw-yellow wine displays precise and intense scents of white fruits (particularly pears and golden delicious apples) as well as delicate spicy notes. The consistency of a red grape variety — evident in spite of the wine’s lack of tannins and the fact that it is vinified in the same way as a white wine – as well as its marked, penetrating tanginess are the hallmarks of its particular taste profile, giving this wine a very distinctive personality and surprising versatility.

One of the choices of sparkling wine was the Santa Margherita Prosecco Brut Valdobbiadene DOC. This sparkling wine displays a fine, persistent perlage, while on the nose it offers attractive floral notes of peach and acacia blossom, alongside delicate scents of reinette apples, all expressed with great cleanness and elegance. On the palate there is perfect harmony between the fresh and appealingly lively sensations and the roundness and delicacy of the fruit.

Another bubbly option was the Argentine Trapiche Sparkling wine. This offering is a blend of Chardonnay (70 per cent), Semillon (20 per cent), and Malbec (10 per cent), with an intense greenish-yellow colour. Typical Chardonnay aromas of apples and pineapples combined with those resulting from the contact with the lees, such as toasted bread. It presents high volume in the mouth from the Semillon and the touch of Malbec.

Lots of fun and lots of wine was had at the Scotia Private Client Group Jamaica Open. It was extra special that the Bin 26 Wine Bar-sponsored team won the event. Congrats to Marc Melville, Alexander Melville, Ricky Wates and Tomas Gandara.

Cheers! Do check out a polo match as soon as you can; it’s a fast, exciting sport.

Chris Reckord is an independent wine consultant who operates DeVine Wine Services with his wife Kerri-Anne. Chris & Kerri are also part owners of Jamaica’s first and only wine-only bar – Bin 26 Wine Bar. Please send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com mailto:creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on twitter.com/DeVineWines