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Wine Dinners: Caribbean Dream

Top your drinks with tiny umbrellas and break out the tropical tunes because tonight we're island-hopping, Caribbean style.

Related Recipe Collection

Caribbean Recipes

Paradise Sound

Listen up, parrotheads. Go on and spin your Jimmy Buffett tunes. Then keep your island groove going with these selected discs:

Cuban

Buena Vista Social Club by Ry Cooder, Buena Vista Social Club
Cuba Now by NG La Banda
Cuenta Conmigo by Jerry Rivera
The Essential Gloria Estefan by Gloria Estefan
Havana Café by Barbarito Torres

Jamaican

Equal Rites by Peter Tosh
Legend by Bob Marley
Signing Off by UB 40
The Harder They Come by Jimmy Cliff
Who Say Jah No Dread by Jacob Miller

Puerto Rican

Back to the Future by Willie Rosario
Bien Jibaro!: Country Music of Puerto Rico by Edwin Colon Zayas
De Regresso by Various Artists
Idilio by Willie Colon
Un Gran Dia en el Barrio by Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Round out your play list with steel drum music and a kickin' calypso.

More Wine Dinners

Did You Know

What's in a Name

The Caribs were one of the indigenous groups populating this vast island archipelago during the late 15th century when the Europeans arrived, thus the name "Caribbean."

This area is also known as the "West Indies" because of Christopher Columbus' mistaken belief he'd sailed to the west coast of India.

To further confound you, Spanish explorers often called newly discovered lands "Antillas," giving rise to one more name for the region: "Antilles."

Rum and the Revolution

Rum production was a big moneymaker for American colonists before the Revolution. Colonists imported molasses from the Caribbean islands and distilled it into rum.

As rum production began to enrich the colonies, the English crown wanted a cut of the profits.

Adding insult to injury, much of New England’s molasses was purchased from French sugar plantations, not English, at a time when England had no dearer enemy than France.

In 1733, the crown levied a tax on all molasses imported from French islands. Though the colonists mostly ignored the decree, it began conflicts over taxation that would eventually result in outright rebellion.

"Molasses was an essential ingredient in American independence," John Adams would later remark.

The Party's Over Here

Complete Dinner Party Menu

Try this ready-to-go menu or create your own.

Menu: Dinner Party on the Cheap

Enjoy hand-picked specialties from three of the larger Caribbean islands, along with cooling wines for this often fiery cuisine.

Cuban Feast

A fruity California Zinfandel will play well with the beefy ropa vieja and should be just as nice with the sofrito sauce and beans and rice. If it's a hot night and a warm red doesn’t sound so appealing, try a chilled Spanish rosé.

Jamaican Me Hungry

Sauvignon Blanc will handle both the spicy and the fruity flavors in this meal; it will be nice with the avocado and cilantro in the salsa; the lime juice, ginger and jalapenos in the jerked chicken; and the deep-fried fritters! Keep it an all-island affair with a nice young Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. And if you're not in the mood for wine, you can't go wrong with a cold Jamaican lager.

Puerto Rican Party

With these Puerto Rican dishes, try Gewürztraminer or Riesling. Riesling is a classic pairing with roasted pork. And Gewürztraminer, besides also working well with the pork dishes, should be an exciting match with the fried plantains and green banana salad. You can find inexpensive versions from Washington state and Alsace, France.

More Tastes of the Tropics

Generally speaking, any of the wines described above (Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewürztraminer) should be a reliable match with the exotic, often spicy flavors of Caribbean cuisine. A cold lager beer always hits the spot, as well. If you want something non-alcoholic, try a tongue-tingling ginger beer.

Party Tips for Paradise

Choose a warm summer evening for your Caribbean getaway (or take the chill off winter) and ask your guests to dress the part.
For extra style points, create treasure map invitations sent in mailing tubes with a sprinkling of sand and a seashell.
Fill vases with palm fronds. Arrange shells, dried sea stars, or sand dollars against the inside of a large glass bowl, fill the bowl with sand and dot with tea lights.
Use bamboo or rattan trays, placemats, and other accessories.
Stamp plain paper napkins with palm trees, shells or parrots.
Set up a craft area with shells, fake pearls, googly eyes, glue, etc. and let guests create their own clam shell critters.
Light up the night with solar-powered tiki torches and dance off the rum.
Shell-shaped chocolates and miniature bottles of Caribbean hot sauce make perfect party favors.

Comments

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Susie

Jul. 30, 2009 11:51 am

Being one of the biggest Parrottheads alive (18 concerts so far) I can really appreciate this whole Island Idea!! Have done many o'Key West themed blow outs and have always recieved great reviews. Between the conch salad, jerk chicken and margaritas ..... well ....need I say more? Stay cool "mon" !! susie !!!

ALEX0596

Aug. 27, 2009 9:33 am

Awesome Susie, That is actually what I am looking for is a new dish for tailgating at Alpine!! Third year tradition for us!! gonna try the rum punch for my boozy fruit this year!! Fins Up!!

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