THE WINE LIST

Caribbean food, with its hot/sweet jerk sauces, plantains, pineapples and pepper sauces, is probably best tamed and matched with beer, and the beverage list at the new Cha Cha Cha offers many good beers.

The new wine list offers a few decent spicy-food quenchers, including a Riesling from Montinore Vineyards in Oregon, $15; a Gewurztraminer from Geyser Peak, $17, and a Hugel Pinot Blanc, $24. The list also offers Catena Chardonnay Reserve from Argentina, $27, and the attractive Morton Estate Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, $20.

However, the only Chenin Blanc, which would match well with the food, is from Robert Mondavi, $14, and is a bit on the sweet side for some of the dishes.

Red-wine fans would probably prefer a chilled bottle of Beaujolais with this spiced food, but there is none on the list, though there is a rare Pinotage from Cape Country in South Africa, $17. One red wine that might work with the food, Clos du Bois Merlot, is overpriced at $30. The list lacks vintages, so it’s hard to know what year of each wine you’ll get, so maybe the best bets here are beer or sangria--or, if you’re adventuresome, one of a dozen mixed drinks, such as the Stolichnaya and banana liqueur.