Kingston—The Coppers restaurant turned crimson with Malbec on Thursday, April 17, when Harbour Wines & Spirits gathered 30 oenophiles for an intimate World Malbec Day fête. Against candle‑lit tables and soft tango melodies, glasses showcased Argentina’s storied varietal while Executive Chef Ramesh Maragh orchestrated a five‑course menu that let each pour shine.
Harbour Wines’ commercial manager, Dr Debbiann Spence‑Minott, opened the evening beside Argentina’s ambassador to Jamaica, Marcelo Balbi Calvo. The diplomat traced Malbec’s journey—from French cuttings shipped to Mendoza in 1853 to its present‑day reign as Argentina’s calling card—and saluted the two nations’ cultural synergy.
Chef Maragh wasted no time weaving wine into cuisine. A velvety caramelised‑onion soup—slow‑simmered seven hours and deglazed with Trivento Reserve Malbec—led the procession, followed by a heart‑of‑palm salad tucked inside crisp leaves and kissed with a Colección Shiraz‑Malbec blend. Guests were challenged to detect exactly where the wine hid in each dish, turning dinner into playful detective work.
For the mains, diners chose between quince‑glazed wild salmon and pan‑roasted beef tenderloin, both finished with reductions of either Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec or Zuccardi Q Malbec. Harbour Wines brand manager Kaydene Senior walked palates through the contrasts: the Golden Reserve’s brooding blackberry‑and‑oak depths versus Zuccardi Q’s brighter red‑fruit lift—precision‑picked to complement Jamaica’s steak‑centric and seafood tastes alike.
Pastry Chef Tiffany Robinson closed the celebration on a sweet note: mixed‑berry Malbec cheesecake, dulce‑de‑leche bread pudding, and classic alfajores, all partnered with Trivento’s flagship Eolo Icon Malbec—layers of dark fruit, cocoa, and velvet‑soft tannins.
Before the final toast, Ambassador Calvo gifted Spence‑Minott The Secrets of Malbec from his personal library; Harbour Wines reciprocated with a bottle of the evening’s show‑stopper Eolo Icon. Glasses lifted high, Spence‑Minott’s closing words captured the sentiment: “To Argentina’s noble grape, and to the friendships it inspires—Salud!”
