A recent barrel tasting of selected wines from Maison Louis Jadot marked a first for Bermuda, according to Mr. Michael Powell, managing director of wine merchants, The Bristol Cellar.

He said that was because of "the formal structure and the educational nature.

"The elaborate package presented at the tasting showed a high level of professionalism. Several who attended expressed this sentiment,'' he said.

The Bristol Cellar is the exclusive Bermuda distributor of the Burgundy wines of Jadot, held by New York-based wine and liquor distribution company Kobrand Corp.

"Jadot is the flagship of Kobrand,'' concluded Mr. Powell.

Representatives of Bermuda's finest restaurants attended to taste vintage 1993 wines taken from their barrels and bottled for the event held at the Hamilton Princess on Wednesday.

The group, representing restaurants from the Fourways Inn to Romanoff, and from the Plantation Club to the Little Venice Group sampled the Burgundy wines, seven white and 11 red, from Maison Louis Jadot.

Kobrand is currently conducting a 60-market barrel tasting of the 1993 vintage is an effort to expose Jadot wines to trades people and wine aficionados.

"We have some wonderful wines. One of our projects is to get more acquainted with jurisdictions frequently visited by US tourists,'' said Mr. Bill Ippolito, vice president and general manager of Kobrand.

"This is our first barrel tasting in Bermuda,'' noted Ms Wilma Dull, trade communications manager of Kobrand.

The distribution company has since the 1989 vintage visited Caribbean Islands to do similar barrel tastings.

"We are bringing the barrel tasting to the trade. It has been a very successful method which gives an overview of the vintage and gives the chance to see Jadot's style and consistency throughout that vintage,'' she added.

"When dealing with barrel tasting you are dealing with a youthful wine,'' she said of the procedure.

About 25 trade representatives attended the invitation-only tasting while about 45 invited guests, dining at the Port'o'Call restaurant, sampled Jadot wines. The Tuesday dining included wines; Pouilly-Fuisse 1993, Savigny-Les-Beaune Blanc 1990, Gevrey Chambertin, 1989 and Chambolle Musigny 1988. Guests finished with a Domaine Carneros by Taittinger.

There are 27 vineyard sites from which Jadot produces its collection of wines.

Jadot, located in Beaune, France, maintains the vines, gathers the harvest, vinifies the grapes and guides the wine's development in cask through bottling and release.

This ownership of the process from start to finish gives Jadot excellent "quality control,'' said Ms Dull.

In 1984 Kobrand approached Jadot about an affiliation but the wine maker declined. A subsequent offer was accepted where Kobrand acquired Jadot brand name, stock and equipment but not the original Jadot family vineyards.

"Our purpose in purchasing Maison Louis Jadot was as an investment. We invested heavily in vinification equipment. We can also offer a better continuity of supply,'' said Ms Dull.

Kobrand helped make Jadot's beaujolais one of the most popular red wines in the US.

M. Louis Henry Denis Jadot founded Maison Louis Jadot in 1859.

Jadot purchased several of the finest grand and premier cru vineyards of the Cote d'Or, an area of only 40 square miles of vineyards, while long term agreements extended control over other vineyards.

TASTING FOR JADOT -- From left, Mr. Bill Ippolito, vice president and general manger of Kobrand Corp., Mr. Steve Jones, director of food and beverage at the Hamilton Princess, Ms Wilma Dull, trade communications manager with Kobrand, and Mr. David Powell, managing director of the Bristol Cellar, greeted about 25 people at a barrel tasting of Jadot wines at the Hamilton Princess on Wednesday.