Mother’s Day enjoys a rich history. Spring festivals in ancient Greece and Rome celebrated mommy goddesses. Europeans celebrated moms beginning in the 16th century.
The U.S. celebrates Mother’s Day this Sunday. Anna Jarvis from Grafton, West Virginia pushed for a national Mother’s Day beginning in 1908. President Woodrow Wilson made it an official holiday in 1914. By the way, Jarvis eventually soured on her creation when it became hypercommercialized. In her final years, she dismissed it as the “Hallmark Holiday.”
Today, baking bread in the morning so mom can awake to beautiful aromas and celebrating her with a special meal are heartwarming traditions beyond flowers, candies, and cards. Wine certainly fits in.
Women drink wine. Surveys indicate women consume around 60 percent of the wine in the U.S. and drink more wine than beer or spirits. Close to 11,000 people follow my Facebook page “Gus Clemens on Wine”; 70 percent are women. You know your mom best, but the odds are good she will appreciate wine on her special day.
On a deeper personal level, I celebrate my mom and two grandmothers who introduced me to wine in my mid-teens. For them, wine was food, the liquid part of the meal. My mom—Mollie—still feels that way and, at age 95, enjoys her glass every evening meal.
Mollie also has been my indefatigable editor/critic for the 12 years I have written this wine column. If you enjoy the words, she shares the credit. Happy Mother’s Day, mom.
Tasting notes:
• Cono Sur Organic Sauvignon Blanc Valle de San Antonio, Chile 2018: Fresh, zesty, with ripe fruit and charming, mellow creaminess on the finish, especially distinctive for a sauv blanc. $12-13 Link to my review
• Perlage Winery Sgàjo Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry Vegan: Tasty fruits; don’t look for depth or complexity (you have to pay a lot more for that). Enjoy as a fun wine. $12-16 Link to my review
• Dobbes Family Estate Pinot Noir, Grand Assemblage, Willamette Valley 2017: Polished with admirable depth, complexity. Very easy drinker; soft, delicious fruit. $25-28 Link to my review
• Moët & Chandon Moët Imperial Brut Champagne NV: Consistent classic with mammoth production. Moët Imperial pretty much defines this space in the bubbly wine world. $40-50 Link to my review
Last round: Mom, I want to hug you on Mother’s Day. In the current situation, we are going to share really good wine sitting six feet apart. Thank you for teaching me how to make the best out of a situation.