It’s time, I’m afraid, for my annual rant about Mother’s Day. Not that I’ve got anything against mothers – heaven forbid, I am one myself – but to assume that we all like the same kind of wines is just plain daft.
Would you give the same bottle to Jess Phillips, for example, as to Mary Berry? Or to a wine expert such as, say, Jancis Robinson (for whom I’d suggest a really good riesling) as your teetotal daughter? A new mother in her 20s probably has an entirely different palate from one in her 60s with grown-up kids.
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to mothers, yet my inbox is currently chock-full of press releases promoting prosecco and sweet and sticky bevvies that will go with chocolate. OK, maybe it’s too much to ask multinational companies for a nuanced take on femininity, but you’d think someone would grasp that there’s at least some mileage to be had in acknowledging that not all mothers are stuck in the 1960s.
So let’s try to tailor a gift to the individual, shall we, starting with the non-drinkers in your family – a growing band for whom an interesting alcohol-free bottle would be genuinely appreciated. Sainsbury’s has just taken on the attractively citrussy Everleaf (below) or, if you live in or near Harrogate, you could pick up a bottle of Box Botanics’ refreshingly herby Verbena (£19 for 50cl from the Harrogate Fine Wine Company).
For women who like their wine, I’m suggesting a bottle of character. Speaking personally, I’m obsessed with grenache blanc at the moment. My latest find is the Gotes Blanques 2016, from Alfredo Arribas in Priorat, a bright, beautiful biodynamic white. Or, for a luxuriously silky red, try the Joseph Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune 2015 (£17.49 Waitrose, 13%), which, like all pinot noirs, would be perfect with duck.
Older mothers with a sweet tooth should enjoy the off-dry Velada Valencia 2017 that is part of Lidl’s latest limited-edition release. It’s made from muscat of Alexandria, which gives it a rather gorgeous, grapey flavour (something you might think common to wine, but is mainly characteristic of the muscat variety).
And if you are looking for the proverbial Mother’s Day fizz, Aldi has a very smart couple of bottles from Sicily under the Castellore label, both of which are organic. If it must be pink, I’d go for the Organics Sparkling Rosé, but the Sparkling Grillo is equally, if not more, attractive and a quid cheaper, too. Not that you need tell your mother that.
Four bottles, one of which should please your mother
Everleaf non-alcoholic aperitif
£18 (for 50cl) Sainsbury’s
With its sophisticated, bittersweet citrus twist, this is one of the best alcohol-free aperitifs I’ve tasted
Gotes Blanques 2016, Alfredo Arribas, Priorat
£18.90 Genesis Wines, £24 Twisted Cellar, 13%
Priorat is better known for its reds, but this lush white garnacha is a cracker. Drink with a pork or veal chop
Joseph Drouhin Chorey-les-Beaune 2015
£17.49 Waitrose, 13%
Fine-textured and fragrant, a good example of (just about) affordable red burgundy
Castellore Organico Sparkling Grillo, Sicily
£6.99 Aldi, 12.5%
Nicely rounded and peachy, a good prosecco alternative in an attractively chunky bottle. Have with cake
• Go to matchingfoodandwine.com for more by Fiona Beckett.
