The Jamaica Observer- conceptualised Salut! affords wine importers/distributors the opportunity to showcase new wines and to reacquaint the market with their existing portfolios prior to the holiday season. From the inception in 2011 it began as a week-long affair with wine-centric venues hosting their wine partners and customers. This year the organisers made a major shift, opting instead for a one-night event to much applause and non-stop commendations. This tasting of 40 wines on a Monday night in a magical Tai-Flora setting at the in-demand W at the Spanish Court Hotel morphed into a fabulous dance party.

Who poured what?

Caribbean Producers Jamaica (CPJ) offered wines from Josh & Fantinel; Wray & Nephew poured Apothic, LaMarca, Dark Horse, Barefoot, Gallo and Champagnes by Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicqout; Betco Premier poured wines by Freixenet, Caposaldo, Matua, 19 Crimes and Centorri; Rosh poured a wide range of wines by Cavalier, Duc de Paris and Anoranzas, while Select Brands offered wines from Charles Smith, Meiomi and champagnes by Perrier Jouet.

My favourites

As an equal-opportunity wine lover, I enjoy great red, white, rosé and bubbly wines from all over the world. Many of the wines were really great; these are a few that I remembered:

My Full-Bodied Red Pick —Dark Horse Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, poured by Wray & Nephew. Hailing from a producer in Modesto, California, this wine is full-bodied with rich dark fruit flavour, firm tannins and a chocolate smooth finish.

My Light Body Red Pick — The first red wine I tasted for the evening was the Josh Pinot Noir poured by CPJ. This light-bodied red was a very approachable, unsophisticated, fruit-forward wine, great for any party setting.

My white wine Pick — 19 Crimes Hard Chard. this bold and powerful rich Chardonnay was poured by Betco Premier. This wine, part of the very popular 19 Crimes series, has intense wood notes supported by ripe peach fruit and decent balance. A fun augmented reality concept awaits you if you download the app on your phone and hold it in front of the bottle. You will be told the story of the character on the label, Jane Castings, who was caught and convicted for receiving stolen goods of cheese and bacon in Leicester, England.

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of wines on offer by Rosh Marketing, I enjoyed one of their sparkling wines — the Duc de Paris Brut — because it was very light, refreshing and elegant. It is produced in France by the French company CFGV (Compagnie Francaise des Grands Vins), the largest producer of sparkling wines in Europe, whose founder invented the tank fermentation method for making sparkling wines.

My fave for the evening, or maybe I am just partial to great Champagne — the Perrier Jouet Blason Rosé; a rich full-bodied elegant Champagne filled with sophisticated berry and citrus that delivers a long earthy never-ending finish. absolutely delicious! Pouring 40 wines in one night had an added side benefit, as guests did not want the party to end. The DJ had to play on for a little longer than he was scheduled and that’s when the shoulders began to “fling”.

Christopher Reckord – Information Technology Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram @chrisreckord and on Twitter: @Reckord