On Saturday evening, hundreds of people all dressed in white will descend on a secret location and set up tables, lay out their china and flatware, pour wine and Champagne for an occasion simply known by its French name — Dîner en Blanc.

It all began more than 25 years ago in France, when a gentleman by the name of François Pasquier had just returned to Paris after a few years abroad and held a dinner party to reconnect with friends.

So many wished to attend that he asked them to convene at Bois de Boulogne (a large public park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris) dressed in white, so as to be recognisable to one another. Each attendee was also asked to bring a friend. The evening was such a hit that guests wanted more friends to join in the following year, and thus was born the concept of Dîner en Blanc.

Years later, one of his sons, Aymeric Pasquier, moved to Canada and he and Sandy Safi came together to create Dîner en Blanc International, a Dîner en Blanc organisation that would promote the history and philosophy of this event through hosts worldwide, and create an international network of diners and Dîner en Blanc enthusiasts. This weekend, we will have our very first Dîner en Blanc event in Jamaica.

Champagne and wine only

My attempt at a simple description is that “Dîner en Blanc is a secret magical flash mob pop-up picnic party”. So with that in mind, do understand that to attend you must have received an invitation, after which you need to go online and pay your participation fee, buy your wine and Champagne (please note that beer and hard liquor are strictly prohibited), and if you wish, buy your food and décor.

As it’s a picnic, you are most welcome to bring your own food and décor also. For the Jamaican event, the organisers have opted to provide tables and chairs as most Jamaicans attending an event like this might have found it too challenging to be hauling their own tables and chairs — a practice that is done everywhere else. So, yes, they had to “Jamaicanise” it just a tad.

The choices

With J Wray & Nephew as wine and Champagne sponsors, each couple will receive a bottle of wine as part of their participation. However, they have a list of 14 wines and six Champagnes to buy online. The six white wines are: Mirassou Riesling, Terre Pinot Grigio Veneto, Torres San Valentín Blanco, Vermentino di Sardegna, Redtree Moscato, and Cala Reale Vermentino.

Sweet wine lovers will go for the Moscato, but if you like it fruity with just a hint of sweetness, then choose the Torres San Valentín Blanco or the Mirassou Riesling. The rest are a great choice of dry white wines. The only pink sweet wine is the Barefoot White Zinfandel.

The seven red wines are: light-bodied, fruity — Torres San Valentín Garnacha, Mirassou Pinot Noir; medium-bodied smooth — Terruzi & Puthod Chianti, Castillo de Molina Reserva Merlot, Terrazas Malbec; for full-bodied with structure — Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon and the Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva.

The Champagne choices include: sweet — Moët & Chandon Nectar Impérial Rosé; hint of sweetness, fruit-forward, poured over ice — Moët Ice Impérial; Dry Champagnes — Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut NV, Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label, NV and the celebrated and highly sought after Dom Pérignon Cuvée Vintage 2000.

The Jamaican event will be perhaps the smallest in the world with only 800 to 900 people predicted to be in attendance. Let’s make it one of the best!!

Christopher Reckord — Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow on Instagram @chrisreckord and on Twitter @Reckord.