Wine in the Caribbean? Discover Ocoa Bay Vineyard

Ocoa Bay is the first agricultural tourism project in the Dominican Republic, whose main attraction is a first class vineyard that has already proven it can deliver high quality wines.  I tried a few of them and they were all delicious.  My father, a wine enthusiast, said their Tempranillo was not only delicious, but amazing; and that in a few years it could, no doubt, be an award winner (yes, that good).  I prefer white wines, and I loved their French Colombard.

Image source: CaribJournal.com

The project’s area will cover 1.4 million square meters in Bahia de Ocoa, with the first phase consisting of 140,000 square meters focused on a vineyard capable of producing high-quality wine and table grapes. The vineyard produces two annual harvests with the support of winemakers from Chile and Spain.

This brand new project will include a resort, clubhouse, residential villas, a health club, a winery and restaurants, among other amenities, and will serve as a model for wine tourism in the Dominican Republic.

Ocoa Bay Vineyard

The region’s low humidity and rainfall, and overall pleasant weather, allow the good conditions to produce wine grapes.  Since this region lacks the normal autumn conditions that are a necessary cycle for wine grapes growth, they’ve created what they call “an artificial autumn,” which consists of withholding the water flow in the plants for a few weeks.  Once the vine undergoes this drought, a sudden water flow begins and the grapes start growing.

This project has been in development for several years and will be huge for the country once it has been completed.

Sources: Caribbean Journal