Last week Thursday the Jamaica Observer Food Awards was held at Devon House where professionals and organisations within the local food and hospitality industry were recognised for their talents, products and services. This year, there were three wine-related awards (1) Best Wine Experience in a Restaurant/Bar- Hotel Category (2) Best Wine Experience – Stand-alone Restaurant/Bar Category, and the third category is an interesting new people’s choice category: Best Tonic wine.

Best Wine Experience in a Restaurant/Bar – Hotel Category

Sugar Mill Restaurant; Half Moon, Montego Bay was selected as the Best Wine Experience in a Restaurant/Bar- Hotel Category. As a reminder the components required to make the grade are (1) A good wine list, (2) proper stemware, (3) adequate wine storage to support the correct serving temperatures and (4) staff that has some knowledge about wine.

When you step into the Sugar Mill Restaurant, just after you are greeted by maître d’hôtel Solomon Gardener, the 46-year veteran at Half Moon, to your right is one of the finest wine cellars in Jamaica. Boasting a wine list with over 100 bottles, this establishment places great importance on its wine service. They have excellent storage facilities for their wines as well as great stemware. According to the wine steward a number of guests who had not initially planned to order a bottle of wine, did so after a short tour of the wine cellar. Are you now convinced that wine lovers are a restaurants’ best customer?

Best Wine Experience – Stand-alone Restaurant/Bar Category

Marguerites Seafood by the Sea was selected as the Best Wine Experience – Stand-alone Restaurant/Bar Category. Located on the ‘Hip Strip’ in Montego Bay, Marguerites has been rated as one of the best restaurants in Jamaica by patrons who have visited and have placed their feedback online. With their extensive wine list of just about 70 different wines from all around the world, this very comfortable, romantic restaurant presents a great dining experience in Montego Bay. The stemware is decent; however, there is room for improvement here. The wines are stored correctly and the wine steward present at the time of my unannounced visit was able to suggest wines to match the meal that I had. The fact that you have an option to dine outside overlooking the Caribbean Sea takes this dining experience to another level.

Best Tonic wine

Magnum Tonic Wine was selected by popular vote as the winner of our fun people’s choice category – Best Tonic Wine. This category was supported and administered by the Jamaica Observer sister paper Chat!. Magnum Tonic Wine is a favourite in the dancehall and on the streets. Clearly not the type of wine that we focus on in this column, Magnum is made from grape-based wine and then fortified with spirit. Its energy-giving component comes from Vigorton 2, which has Iron and Vitamin tonic and vitamins that claim to build strength and vitality.

Cheers! Now go forth and visit one of these locations soon.

Chris Reckord is an independent wine consultant, a member of the Society of Wine Educators and a director of Bin26 Wine Bar. Please send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com . Follow us on twitter.com/DeVineWines