Our resident wine guy Chris Reckord removes quite a few corks

Trinidad Wine Scene

On a recent trip to our south-easterly Caribbean neighbour, known for another type of “wine”, I was eager to exchange wine notes, clink glasses and naturally survey the other ‘wine’ scene.

“So what do you think about Trinidad’s wine scene?”

“Alive and very well” is how I answered the question. My first sense of what was happening was through a review of wine lists from restaurants such as Hakka Restaurant & Bar, Buzo Osteria Italiana, Chaud and Prime Restaurant. Unlike Jamaica, where most of the restaurants seem to be selling the same wines, those in Trinidad had wines that were thoughtfully selected to match the cuisine.

On Trade

As an example, while it was not my favourite Asian food, I was happy with the wine list at Hakka, especially given the fact that I did not see any heavily oaked Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon on that list, as those wines don’t pair well with the type of Asian food they served. Instead they had most of the textbook wines ideally suited for Indian and Chinese fare – Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Lambrusco, Brachetto, in other words, lighter, sweeter wines – red or white. I am still trying to figure out why our local Asian restaurants can’t seem to work that out as yet. Buzo had a fine mix of Italian wines, including the usual Chianti and Pinot Grigio, but offered a much wider range from across Italy, including Gavi di Gavi, Grecho di Tufo, Vermentino, Dolcetto d’Alba, Barbera d’Asti, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino and a few Super Tuscans. Prime Restaurant’s wine list is ‘off the chain’ on global level, with just under 2,000 bottles in inventory, including some of the world’s most sought-after wines. They featured pairing suggestions such as “Lamb Chop – Tuscan. Tuscans have finesse, suppleness, and complexity – a perfect match for a full-flavoured meat like lamb. Sassicaia, Tignanello”

Off-Trade

Two names kept coming up when I asked about where to buy great wines – Vintage Imports and Fernandes Fine Wine and Spirits. Our Food Awards judges visited both these vendors and found well stocked stores offering a wide range of wines not available in supermarkets. We met and had great discussions with principals of both establishments: Marian de Verteuil, Director, Vintages and Joseph Fernandes of Fernandes. They are passionate about wines and equally passionate about offering great value to their customers. Both establishments are fully vertically integrated, handling their own importation, retail and some distribution of their wines. Other names that were mentioned that we did not have a chance to visit included Bottlestop, The Naughty Grape, Peppercorn and All Italian Fine Wine and Food.

A supermarket visit was a must and we popped into a Hi-Lo supermarket that was well-stocked with the usual retail brands including Beringer California Collection, Sutter Home, Concho y Toro – Sunrise and Casellero del Diablo, Santa Rita 120, Little Penguin, Lindeman, Vina Maipo, Trapiche, Las Moras Varietals, to name a few. While it might not be their primary business, there are individuals, including Louis de Meillac and Jeremy Matouk, who also import wines for resale.

We’ll continue our discussion on the Trini Wine Scene when we return for the inaugural Table Talk Food Awards Awards T&T slated for June 15th.

Christopher Reckord – Businessman, Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter: @DeVineWines @Reckord