Uncorked, an international wine bar in the heart of Kingston (Jamaica)

After much debate on Friday night as to what we would do for lunch on the morrow, the decision was made to go to Uncorked, a relatively new wine bar on the Kingston (Jamaica) dining and drinking scene. I was pleased by what I saw when we drove up and moreso when we entered the establishment.

This was head and shoulders above any wine bar I had encountered in Jamaica and, in terms of ambience, layout, and decor, could easily be sited anywhere in the world. The display of the wine selection, a broad array of regional and international spirits, and a nice assortment of wine-related accoutrements, clearly spoke to the sophistication of the owners and/or their advisors.

We were welcomed by a uniformed staffer -- Shez -- who assigned us to the long central table based on our party size. A quick perusal of the wine list showed wines available by the glass as well as bottles arranged by old world countries and by varietal.

I ordered a Bouchard Pere & Fils 2014 Pouilly-Fuissé to begin and was pleased to see the appropriate stemware brought to the table. Shez was extremely professional in handling the wine service. I enquired as to where she had received her training and she said Select Brands, the distributor providing the wines on offer at the establishment. I followed up this bottle with a bottle of Pascal Jolivet Sancerre.

Between the two wines I ordered a salad. And that brings me to the food menu. It had a tight, excellent range of offereings which were highly suited to both the environment and the core products. I started out with the Greek Salad. It had more lettuce and less Feta than if I had bought it in Athens but, nonetheless, it was tasty.

For my main course I had a bunless burger. This meat was just a little more than medium but was tender and, thanks to the seasoning, full of flavor. We accompanied this course with a Cab and a Patz & Hall Pinot Noir. One of our local friends brought a bottle to the restaurant and they allowed us to pop it for a $10 corkage fee. Very reasonable to my mind.

Chef Lucian with David and Rachel

This is a great spot. One where you could while away many a Saturday afternoon. This will not be my last visit here.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme