Belizean Fruit Wine: The Bounty of Island Life
Drenched from a sweltering midday walk, I finally reached The Little Wine Bar, a chilled nook tucked away in Placencia with air thickened by the scent of cured meats and aged cheeses. My friends and I checked in for our wine tasting, and while they were seated, I hurried to the restroom to dry my skin and air out my clothing. Failing to do so in the imprisoned heat trapped in the tiny corner space separated by a latched wooden door and nautical décor, I decided a long-drawn air-dry and some water would revive me before diving into glasses of wine dehydrated.
I made my way to our table, slightly irritated but delighted by the blasting air conditioning and the shop’s sommelier, who approached our table with the largest and most elaborate charcuterie display. Despite my apparent heat exhaustion, the sommelier filled the remaining table space with several empty glasses per person and filled them with wine before offering us water. Yet, upon tasting the delicious locally sourced and produced fruit wine from the featured brand, Thirsty Jagwar, I understood the sommelier’s confidence in the equally hydrating wines.
The Pineapple Ginger was well-balanced, reminiscent of a non-alcoholic drink my Caribbean parents would make on hot days when my siblings and I resisted the vitality of water. My parents would mix lime (or lemon), ginger, water, mint, and brown sugar to balance sweet and sour with spice. My mind, still in the past, turned sips into gulps of the smooth and refreshing blends—an allure similar to the other brand’s wines mixed with watermelon or dragonfruit, like Pink Pineapple. The Belizean fruit wine beautifully unified sweet and sour through subtle spice, making it a perfect pairing with the served pepper and onion goat cheese mix and spicy jam.
Though fruit or other infused wines may be unpopular or unacknowledged among wine connoisseurs of the Old World school of thought, they are a particular favorite of mine. As someone of Caribbean heritage, my palate naturally embraces and appreciates the non-traditional intensity of these fruits in a wine. In the spirit of true Caribbean bacchanal, these fruit wines are luscious and zestful. The flavors emulate the bounty of island life: limin’ with those you love.
