John Holt, Romain Virgo to highlight first Reggae Wine Festival

Sheena Gayle, Gleaner Writer

Western Bureau:

John Holt and Romain Virgo are among the reggae elites who will ignite the Cinnamon Hill grounds in Rose Hall, Montego Bay, at the first annual International Reggae Wine Festival on August 13.

During the media launch hosted at the Whitter Village, Montego Bay, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, Davon Crump, lauded the organisers for bringing the event into the tourism capital that is home to Reggae Sumfest, and urged the public to be part of the premier fusion of wine and music.

"Reggae has always been a crucial part of Jamaica, and this festival will further highlight the great talents we have in our music, while creating an atmosphere for wine lovers to experience an array of wines within a beautiful location," Crump said.

The event is being staged by CSR Promotions.

The one-day festival is a new addition to Montego Bay's events calendar and will feature world-renowned reggae artiste, John Holt, young reggae singers Tessanne Chin, Romain Virgo and Alaine.

"We are endorsing the event at the Chamber of Commerce as we believe that will stimulate the local business economy, as the organisers are bringing in hundreds of guests from overseas for this event which will, in turn, benefit us all. Plus, it is a family event, so everyone can and should come out and be part of it," Crump noted.

The ultimate wine and music experience is expected to serve up some of the world's best wines and spirits from Jamaican and international wine purveyors, including Lascelles Wines and Spirits, Betco Premier Limited, 1876 Wines, among several others.

The International Reggae Wine Festival will also showcase Jamaican food, fashion and art.

"Already, the event is being marketed heavily in the United States with great results," said Carlos Daley of CSR Promotions, who expressed gratitude to hotels, including The Palmyra, Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort, Riu Montego Bay and Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel for offering great deals in support of the festival.

"It's my love for Jamaica, and the need to bring income here to Jamaica and add value to the tourism product that led me to organise this event. We need persons with disposable income to visit Jamaica and most of the consumers of wine are persons with disposable income. What better way to generate interest and showcase the best of Jamaica than through this International Reggae Wine Festival?" said Daley.

The United States-based promotions group did the research which showed that Jamaica has about 28,000 wine drinkers, while in the United States there are over 30 million.