Lexpert Magazine

LEXPERT MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 89 TRAVEL Jamaica's Cool Runnings This Caribbean island nation is exactly what the winter orders In 1982, Robert Gourdin, Moët & Chandon's North American sales director, held a press confer- ence in Toronto's King Edward Hotel to promote his company's champagne. e invitation to the wine writers indicated that he would recreate Moët's famous wine fountain using Baccarat crystal glasses — and he would also demonstrate the lost art of sab- rage. (Yes, the French have a word for it.) Intrigued, a jaded press corps turned out in force. Including two TV news crews. e event was held in the hotel's ballroom, in the centre of which was a magnificent "fountain" stand- ing about five feet high. It consisted of ascending circles of champagne coupe glasses standing on each other in the shape of a huge cone, with a single glass at the apex. I had seen this fountain effect performed spectacu- larly in Reims a couple of years earlier. e idea is to pour champagne into the very top glass until it over- flows into the tier below. You keep pouring until the cascading wine fills all the glasses down to the base. en the fountain is dismantled glass by glass from the top and handed around to the assembled guests (all of whom get sticky fingers). It takes about three cases of champagne to replicate this event, if you're thinking of trying it at your daughter's wedding. All would have gone well if Gourdin had stuck to the script and fed the thirsty journalists with cham- pagne from the fountain, but he decided to he would demonstrate his prowess with the saber first. Show- man that he was, Gourdin warned us to stand well back as he held the champagne bottle in one hand and waved a sabre in the other. e TV cameramen moved in to record the moment. With a de flick of the wrist, Gourdin slid the blade up the bottle. ere was a small bang and the cork, still encased in an inch of glass, went flying across the room and — you guessed it — struck the Baccarat coupe fountain in the centre like a mortar shell, bringing the whole edifice down in a shower of broken crystal. A CFTO-TV cameraman, who had just returned unscathed from a two-week assignment covering the war in Lebanon, was hit by a shard of glass and re- ceived a cut across his nose. Robert Gourdin told me that he could sabre 24 bottles of champagne in five minutes, although he bore a scar from fourteen stitches on his right wrist as a testimony to the dangers of the enterprise. (e world record, incidentally, is 55 bottles in two min- utes, performed on a line of Champagne Tendil & Lombardi bottles two years ago.) Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer my champagne to be gentled into the glass. THE DULCET TONES of Bob Marley's vocals never sound better than when they're coming from a live band rather than the elevator's Muzak station. Swap your white shirts and red pen for white sand and Red Stripe beers on a winter getaway to Jamaica. en do yourself one better by picking spots that keep you away from the typical tourist crowds. > Where to Stay: Serenity by the Beach is four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa 20 minutes from Montego Bay airport comes complete with a butler, maid, security guard and cook to keep you comfortable and give you plenty of space to lounge. All four bedrooms look out over the saltwater sea and you're steps from a virtually untouched white-sand beach. On site you'll find a tennis court, basketball hoop, kayaks, a private pool and more. www.jamaicavillas.com/ > Where to Eat: Gloria's Rendezvous, Port Royal For a taste of the local life spend at least a day in Kingston. Jamaica's capital city has plenty to of- fer in terms of sights and sounds and Gloria's Rendezvous — a fresh seafood restaurant on the Port Royal coast — is one of the area's most popular dining spots. Fish (fried or steamed), lobster and shrimp (you must try the honey jerk; it's delicious!) are among the favoured picks, but you can also choose from a long list that includes soup and chicken options. Don't expect to see tourists (or tourist prices) at this spot to which locals flock on weekend nights, but do reserve a table in advance to make sure you've got a prized seat high above the sea. www.jamaicatravelandculture.com/ > What to Do: Island Gully Falls, Ocho Rios e crowds will head for Dunn's River Falls; don't follow them. Island Gully Falls offers a calmer and less crowded experience, but it doesn't skip on the opportunities for thrills. Families with smaller children and those who have less than stable knees will appreciate the guides (and lifeguards) on hand to help you up and down the slippery rocks. Spend an hour or an aernoon, but don't forget your water- proof camera. Guides are happy to snap the photos while you explore the falls. www.islandgullyfallsjamaica.com/ | DETOURS | Heather Greenwood Davis is a lawyer and National Geographic Traveler contributing editor. Reach her at heather@globetrottingmama.com. Tony Aspler is the author of 17 books on wine, including his latest, Canadian Wineries. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

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