Caribbean Stuff

Marilyn’s Wine Picks For The Holidays

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Wray & Nephew’s Marilyn Bennett .
Among the many traditions of a Jamaican Christmas are the much-anticipated Christmas Dinner, Boxing Day get-together over delicious leftovers, holiday weekend lymes and New Year’s Eve festivities - all involving copious amounts and varieties of food as Jamaicans eat, drink and make merry.

For quite some time now, our Food team has been helping you to consider the exciting partnerships of foods and wines since the possibilities are exciting and literally, endless. We therefore invite you to ‘happy pairings’ this holiday season.
Okay, the menu is all set and here are my drink picks - the wines to enjoy with the season’s main meats!

Turkey with a favourite stuffing is to the American Thanksgiving as the baked, honey-glazed Ham is to our Jamaican Christmas. With a mixture of salt and sweet flavours, we suggest that your best bet is a young and fruity Merlot. My picks: - the Delicato Family Vineyards Merlot or the Barefoot Merlot, both from California.

A chicken dish is the staple prepared for every occasion and Christmas is definitely no exception. Let’s consider a large roast chicken (the Jamaican take on turkey) and with this poultry my pick: - the Moreau Chablis from France.

Seriously, oxtail has become a must-have meat for special occasions in Jamaica. This meat has gone ‘gourmet,’ so think oxtail cooked in red wine with a wonderful assortment of herbs and spices. Which wine would be paired with our oxtail? - My pick is definitely a big wine from a big country - the Jacob’s Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, or the Hardy’s Stamp Cabernet Sauvignon both from Australia, would certainly fit the bill.

Every cook considers something different for these festive occasions, and this may be a spinach soufflé - in which case my pick is the Moncaro Verdicchio Dei Castelli - or maybe a Mushroom Soufflé which would pair very well with the Barton & Guestier Bordeaux Blanc or the Robert Giraud Blason Timberlay Bordeaux Blanc.

For the Christmas meal in many Jamaican households, the variety of meats will be complemented by a larger variety of accompanying dishes. There will be the traditional gungo rice and peas, macaroni and cheese, fried plantains and/or candied sweet potato pie, tossed vegetable salad, etc. The meats have received focus as the ’stars’ of the Christmas meal and will simplify the pairing process.

The Christmas cake or Christmas pudding will have pride of place as the dessert of choice. For a wonderful taste sensation, my picks will surprise you, but try Sangster’s Rum Cream or Wray & Nephew Rum Cream with this dessert.
Every celebration must start with something special. In a flute glass, pour half sorrel and top it up with some ‘bubbly’ to make an exciting Jamaican Christmas-inspired ‘Champagne Cocktail’ as the welcome drink for your guests. The sorrel is your own concoction, but my pick for the bubbly is the Veuve du Vernay Brut sparkling wine from France or the Andre Brut Sparkling wine.

All true foodies swear by champagne as the perfect wine for every occasion. For us, champagne gets an occasion off to a sparkling start, is great during any festivities and certainly makes an ideal end to any merrymaking. Champagne is truly a gift from the gods through the area of the same name in France. My picks for this season:- Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label; Perrier Jouet Brut Non Vintage; Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Rose Vintage; or Taittinger Brut Vintage.

For pricier champagne offerings, my picks are the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame; Dom Perignon Cuvee; Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque or a guest may just challenge you… “No Krug? No Thanks!!”

Be inspired in your food and wine pairings. - Here’s to a wonderful Christmas and a sparkling New Year!

Wray & Nephew’s Marilyn Bennett is a wine buff with years of training and experience in the wine industry.

Source: Jamaica Observer