Wine Dinners: Caribbean Dream

This meal makes me think of a fruity California Zinfandel. It 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.

At first glance, this meal seems like a tough wine-pairing situation. But the more I think about the recipes here, the more I keep coming back to Sauvignon Blanc. It will handle the spicy flavors and the fruity flavors; 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.

With these Puerto Rican dishes I'm drawn toward Gewürztraminer or Riesling. Riesling is a classic pairing with roasted pork, but I'm edging toward Gewürztraminer here. Besides working well with the pork dishes, Gewürztraminer should be an exciting match with the fried plantains and green banana salad. You can find inexpensive versions from Washington state and Alsace, France.

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.

• 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.