Red Label Wine shortage forces pastry chefs to innovate

Checks made at several top wholesales and supermarkets in Clarendon, including Stoplight Wholesale and Shopper’s Fair in May Pen, revealed that the Christmas cake ingredient Red Label Wine was out of stock.

Lisa Kelly, who normally would fill large orders for Christmas cakes, said she purchased three cases of Red Label Wine in November and in early December when she went back to the wholesale store to purchase another, she was told that each customer could only buy two bottles.

“I bought a few bottles of Cals Fruit Wine and boil the fruits in it. When this is done, you can’t tell if the fruit was not soaked for years; it gives it a distinct taste. When you eat the cake, it melts away in your mouth.”

Kelly says she uses her available Red Label to soak the fruits in, and so she is ready to package her cakes for dispatch.

Tashana McKenzie, who was recently featured in The Gleaner highlighting her business, Lady T Pastry Delight, said she has since been receiving a lot of orders for Christmas cakes, for which she is grateful. According to her, the Red Label Wine shortage is not putting a damper on her meeting her orders.

“This has not affected me, since I put my own little twist to my Christmas cakes. The cakes’ fruit wine, mix with the J. Wray and Nephew rum, gives the cakes the same great taste,” she shared. She said for those who are relying on the wine to complete their orders for the season, should not allow the shortage of that particular wine to deter them.

She also shared that over the many years of baking Christmas cakes, she can attest that the substitute of Cals Fruit Wine mixed with the rum has produced great flavours.

“My customers have never complained about the quality of the cakes and have continued to support me,” she shared.

However, Rosalind McKenzie of Longville Park, said a lot of persons, like herself, prefer the cake with Red Label Wine in it, which gives it the ‘Christmas cake’ taste.

“Cake experts can tell because from they taste it, they will know that Red Label Wine is not in it,” she quipped, noting that her cakes won’t be missing out on flavour, she purchased all the wines she needed in November.

For those who were late in purchasing and are now caught up in the shortage, McKenzie said once they have cherry brandy or the Magnum brand, those can be blended with the fruits to give a great taste.

cecelia.livingston@gleanerjm.com