JWB at Margaritaville Nassau hosts first intimate wine pairing dinner

JWB at Margaritaville Nassau hosts first intimate wine pairing dinner
JWB Prime Steak and Seafood Chef Lester Dean (middle) pours a hot broth around the saffron poached sea bass to the delight of guests at the first Bristol Duckhorn Wine pairing dinner held in the private dining room at the JWB restaurant, named after Jimmy W Buffet and located in the Margaritaville Beach Resort in Nassau, Bahamas. (AZALETA ISHMAEL-NEWRY)

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — As more public spaces open in The Bahamas, JWB Prime Steak and Seafood restaurant, named after Jimmy W Buffet located in the Margaritaville Beach Resort, was a welcome outing for a wine pairing dinner.

Bristol’s Duckhorn wine portfolio’s event was an intimate evening of top-notch food, cozy ambiance and attentive service at Nassau’s newest oceanfront restaurant. Guests experienced a variety of highly acclaimed wines from Duckhorn’s wineries located in the Napa Valley and the Sonoma and Russian River counties in California.

Chef Lester Dean’s highly praised sous vide lamb loin. (AZALETA ISHMAEL-NEWRY)

“We are meeting the demand of people wanting to enjoy themselves in smaller settings,” said Kyle Stubbs, sommelier at Bristol Wines and Spirits, who helped organize the evening with Resort Manager Larry Magor and Food and Beverage Manager Devin Johnson.

Guests enjoyed a gastronomic experience with a signature five-course meal based on the JWB menu, although some of the dishes offered additional surprises.

Two Sauvignon Blanc wines — Duckhorn Napa Valley 2019 and Decoy Sonoma County 2019 — accompanied the first course of pan-seared sea scallop, applewood bacon confit, cauliflower purée with blood orange ginger gastrique.

The second course of Wagyu Beef tartare, crispy capers, horseradish essence, quail egg and cracked pepper lavish was a play on beef tartare with added ingredients to enhance the presentation for this wine dinner.

The event showcased a variety of wines from Napa Valley and Sonoma County. (AZALETA ISHMAEL-NEWRY)

“The Decoy California Rosé 2019 was paired with the beef tartare because the unripe green apple, good body and acid structure makes it an awesome combination,” said Stubbs.

A creative ensemble for the third course included compressed tri-colored heirloom beet salad with goat cheese espuma, pickled relish and watermelon vinaigrette, which was paired with a 2019 Decoy Rosé.

A chilled Kosta Browne 116 Chardonnay 2017 was a sure favorite, accompanied by a posh version of a fisherman’s stew, which had a cioppino broth that was poured while hot into a bowl containing a square-shaped saffron poached sea bass with rouille crostini.

Chef Dean puts the finishing touches on the third course. (AZALETA ISHMAEL-NEWRY)

The night’s fifth course was awe-inspiring.

JWB Chef Lester Dean proudly stated: “My sous vide lamb loin is sort of a masterpiece. The meat is marinated and slow-cooked for many hours and then seared on the outside.”

He prepared the dish with mushroom duxelles, mint reduction, potato crisp and spiced pumpkin.

The pinnacle of award-winning Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot 2017 accompanied Dean’s highly praised lamb loin, where both received high accolades.

A group of young professionals enjoying the event. (AZALETA ISHMAEL-NEWRY)

For dessert, there was a chocolate sponge with salted caramel, gold leaves, chocolate tuile and wild berry-Duckhorn stew served with Paraduxx Napa Valley 2019.

Sandy Rolle, VP Sales and Marketing at Bristol, said the Duckhorn wine portfolio luxury brands are popular with high-end resorts and restaurants in The Bahamas, and over the years, the Bahamian public has embraced the mid-range wines from Decoy produced by Duckhorn Winery.

“We started offering the merlots about 10 years ago and expanded the line to mid-ranges as more Bahamians expanded their desire for fine wines from California,” she said.

Duckhorn Vineyards wines are distributed in The Bahamas by Bristol Wines and Spirits. For more information, visit www.bristol.bs or www.duckhornportfolio.com, or email kyle.stubbs@bristol.bs.