Helen McGinn So, Mother’s Day on Sunday. Already looking forward to my cup of tea in bed, cards and a few hastily freshly picked daffodils from the garden. But given that I plan to be on the sofa, glass in hand whilst someone else does the washing up, I want something really lovely in my glass. So this week’s wines are freshly picked with Mother’s Day in mind. Cheaper than a bunch of shop-bought flowers, too. Let’s make that glasses.
Happy Mother’s Day x
Current Sparkling in the fridge: Tesco Finest Premier Cru NV
Price: £14.99 - Buy From Tesco
OK, so you can get a lovely bunch of flowers for £15 but I’d rather have a bottle of this, TBH. Normally about £20, this is a brilliant buy. Made by a fantastic producer in the Grand Cru (so: top quality) village of Avize in Champagne, it’s a classic blend of champagne grapes and thanks to a little extra time spent ageing in the bottle, it’s got plenty of gently toasty flavours along with lively lemony fruit. I’m self-gifting if I have to.
Current white in the fridge: Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Alsace Gewürztraminer
Price: £8.00 - Buy From Sainsbury's
For a floral fix in wine form, try this in your face fabulous rosewater-scented white with mad flavours of lychees (the smell takes me back to the Chinese restaurant we used to go to as children where you were given free lychees for pudding). Wines made from the Gewürztraminer grape are often described as spicy but really, perfumed is a more accurate description. Have a small glass, really chilled, with nibbles pre-lunch. Or try it with Chinese food. Works a treat – must be the lychees.
Current red in the rack: Anciano Tempranillo Gran Reserva Valdepenas
Price: £5.99 - Buy From Waitrose
Amazing value red (it’s normally £8.99 when not on offer) made from one of the main grapes behind Rioja, Tempranillo. The Gran Reserva bit tells us the wine’s been aged for at least five years, spending some of that time in oak barrels. But rather than coming from Rioja, it comes from another region called Valdepenas, in central Spain. Subsequently, it doesn’t come with the same price tag – you can expect to pay at least double the price for a Gran Reserva Rioja. Smooth, mellow and moreish. Spot on with garlicky roast lamb.
Firstly, ranunculas: my all-time favorite flowers (also known as Persian Buttercups). Secondly, was that the Dragon Palace in Southampton by any chance? Many a Potter birthday celebrated there!! Happy Knackered Mothers’ Day! x
It was! Loved that place…Happy Mother’s Day x
Happy Knackered Mother’s Day in advance. Sunday is a work day here in the ME so will be envying your prone position with wine.
And to you! You’ll have to play catch up.