A Little Rant and A lot of Rave
Written By: Dylan York on Thu, Feb 28th 2008
It's been two months since I arrived in Grenada so I thought I'd recap some of the things that have gone on. Typically, I spend most of my days on the balcony with a stack of books and my laptop studying wine regions, taking notes and tasting wines. I never had this much time to devote to studying wine so I am taking full advantage of that and learning more than ever.
The local wine bar that I frequently visit has introduced me to several great contacts and friends who have taken an interest in my career here. Being the only sommelier on an island with so many resorts and restaurants could lead to laying down some roots in the Caribbean. The consensus among restaurant owners seems to be that there is a need for better wines for their lists. The wine business here is also in need of a lot of work and I love a challenge.
Last week I met with a resort interested in hiring me as a consultant. Their wine list needs to be completely redesigned and their staff needs proper training, so I submitted a proposal and am waiting to hear back from them. One of my rants about this country is the time it takes to get things done. Coming from a fast-paced world back in Washington, DC, it has been a real adjustment, but I now know the true meaning of island time. Here, people are in no hurry to get things done but love to talk in great length about it. Oh well, I always said I needed to learn to be more patient and now's the perfect time to start.
In addition, I have been asked to help judge the "Taste of the Caribbean" practice dinners put on by the Grenadian team before they head to Miami this summer for the final competition. It is an honor to participate in this event and offer constructive criticism that will hopefully lead to Grenada's success in the event. The competition parallels the format of Iron Chef with teams representing every country in the Caribbean. A couple of weeks ago they held one of many practice dinners and I was amazed at all of the various Caribbean ingredients. There are so many different fruits and vegetables available here. Ingredients such as callaloo, christophene, breadfruit, dasheen, star fruit, pommeracs and plantains are often used along with a vast array of local spices. The two practice teams had a community table full of these ingredients and more at their disposal to plan a 3-course meal for twenty-five people. Along with a cocktail competition that I also got to judge, it was quite an evening. If you love to cook you would love living here and experimenting with all the flavors.
With the abundant ingredients and spices to work with, pairing wines with Caribbean cuisine has been great. The texture of the food ranges from light and fresh vegetable dishes to rich and concentrated curries and stews that are a perfect match for big spicy red wines. I have been drinking a lot of Ribera del Duero and Rioja along with some good Syrah from Chile. For white wines, I have been drinking a lot of Italians like Verdicchio, Orvieto and Gavi. These dry and oily whites go great with ceviche and also pair perfect with the main dish of Grenada, the "Oil Down" (a mixture of salt fish, breadfruit, callaloo, dasheen, plantains, herbs and spices, finished with coconut milk).
Overall my experience in Grenada has been wonderful and like I said before I am contemplating making my stay a little longer. Living on the island can be frustrating at times but once you relax and learn to go with the flow you enjoy it much more. I have also made contact with someone at the University here that teaches the hospitality program and she is interested in having me teach wine classes. This could be the beginning of something that could lead to a year round tan. Wish me luck.
