The taste of European culture
Being in a tropical paradise in the middle of the Caribbean and taste the culture of wine growing! St Martin / Sint Maarten is proud of its outstanding availability of wines and champagnes. When on vacation (and not only on vacation), wine and dine is very important, and fabulous French Wine boutiques (les caves) are blooming on St. Martin. To make the right choice might look impressive, there is nothing wrong to ask a knowledgeable and helpful Sommeliers to guide you through.
When coming to St. Martin, you will find the ultimate range of wines and champagnes. St. Martin boosts a great number of ‘caves’ at hand all over the island, and do expect them to be competent to comply with the exigencies of even the most informed wine lover… Real wine cellar atmospheres, best vintages from the most exclusive wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone Valley, not to mention the thousands of different wines available from all over the world. Make your choice from an exquisite ‘cru’ from a classical producer country like France, Italy and Spain, or the more exotic but not less exclusive wine from the ’new’ artisans from California, Chile and Argentina. The professionals are constantly renewing their wine selection, traveling during off-season to the most important producers to taste and choose new wines for the season’s wine list. Wine lovers be ready to discover some hidden wine treasures in the middle of the Caribbean!
Wine cellars are arranging on a regular basis free wine tasting events and you surely will be able to participate at least in one during your stay. Restaurants are organizing fine dining and wine tasting dinners with famous chefs and sommeliers, and ‘wine and cheese’ is easily available all over the island.
Fine dining and wine goes hand in hand. Don’t worry if you are not an expert, most of the gourmet restaurants and wine cellars have a sommelier. Trained in wine tasting and pairing it up with food he will help you to make the right decision which wine to accompany your dishes.
How does a sommelier select the right wine for a dinner or occasion?
He lifts the glass by the stem, in order not to warm the wine in the glass;
He examines the color by holding the glass against a white background – white wines should range from light straw to shades of yellow as they grow older, red wines changing from darker to lighter with age, and for both, the color should be clear and not cloudy;
He swirls, that allows the wine to breath to give a better ‘bouquet’, and also shows the wines consistency;
He smells the wine to identify its unique qualities and characteristics;
He tastes the wine by holding it in his mouth to find out about the wine’s finish – how long does the flavor last after you swallowed it;
And last but not least, a good sommelier, practices, practices, practices!
Passion is the right definition for it all – the knowledge and care of the wine grower, the handling and care of the cellarmen, the enthusiasm of the sommelier, restaurant owners and the wine lovers (who must be older than 18 years to purchase and taste spiritals).