Oh, what a refreshing start to the summer with so much happening on the wine scene here in Jamaica. Brands shifting from one importer to the next, along with mergers and acquisitions in the wines and spirits industry will certainly spice things up — at least for the rest of the year until other investments in the capital city have materialised. Last weekend saw a refreshing set of events where wines were the beverage of choice.

WINEDIVASJA Popup Wine Bar

Some of the ladies associated with the launch of Jamaica’s first wine bar took their passion on the road with the recent inaugural staging of the very first Pop-up wine bar. The turnout at the event exceeded expectations, and at one point the organisers almost ran out of tables. Patrons enjoyed selections from a fully stocked wine bar with a wide range of wine styles from all major wine-producing regions including Champagne.

Lounge and house music filled the air as guests engaged in lively conversation over fare afforded by Dian Watson. The venue was decorated with the help of Novelty Party Rentals, as guests stayed long past the initial cut off time of 11:00pm.

KGN Kitchen

Two wine bars graced the lawns of Hope Gardens at the recent staging of KGN Kitchen: The Wine Cellar and The Wine Ranch. Patrons could choose from over a dozen refreshing wines to help beat the heat.

Market on the Lawn

Wray & Nephew also hosted a wine sampling bar on the north lawns of Devon House, the venue for the recent Market on the Lawn. Here they showed the appropriate Torres San Valentín line of wines from Spain. Their white wine — San Valentín Parellada — has a clear, pale yellow colour, with enticing aromas of fresh grapes, together with other fruits (ripe bananas, quince) and flowers (acacia with hints of roses and rosemary). Voluptuous and slightly sweet on the palate, lovely for a hot summer’s day.

Light, Crisp and Refreshing

For events being held this summer, ask your caterer, event coordinator or chef to select wines that are light-bodied, crisp and refreshing, preferably white or rosé wines. White wines in this style are usually: Chablis, Orvieto, Piñot Grigio, some Sauvignon Blancs, and Sancerre. If you must choose red wines, select Beaujolais (bo-shju-lay), Piñot Noir, Bardolino, Valpolicella, unoaked Merlot and unoaked Burgundy. Rosé wines are an excellent substitute for red wines in the summer; look for products from Provence or Southern Rhone in France; Italy and Spain also make great light refreshing rosé wines.

Do try something new, crisp and refreshing this summer!

Chris Reckord — Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on twitter: @DeVineWines @Reckord