The southern pollen season has begun to subside and the blistering heat of summer has not yet found us. The perfect time of year to take a day for recognition of our mothers comes into view. This homage looks very different depending on your upbringing. For some it may mean a brunch date, giving mom a spa day or even cooking a special meal for her. When I look at all these wonderful mama-centric activities, I relish at the opportunity to pour her a glass of something special.

Since I live below that Mason-Dixon Line, brunch remains the traditional show of appreciation for those southern mothers in your family. Instead of that overpriced generic buffet rebranded by your local restaurant, I recommend taking the extra effort and hosting at your (or her) private residence. This enables customizing food and beverage to mom’s discerning palate. Even though my wine selections revolve around a brunch atmosphere, our choices will transcend to suit any type of matriarchal imbibements you construct.

Sparkling

For any brunchy type of meal, I find it extremely difficult not to include some sort of sparkling wine. Although Prosecco can easily be slotted here (with added Bellini potential), I tend to lean more towards a traditional method sparkling. There remains something interesting about those yeasty autolytic elements with these wines that are usually lacking in Charmat (tank fermented) sparklers like Prosecco.

Granted Champagne can be a bit pricy at times, especially if you intend to go the cocktail route but there are other regions in the world that make traditional method at a fraction of the price. Nothing will make you regret opening your $75 Champagne like watching someone pour orange juice into it. For this reason, I am choosing a traditional method sparkling from Italy that is tasty enough to chill, pour and drink but also at a price point encouraging use as a cocktail base.

Rosé

A spring brunch also is a great way to kick off rosé season. Every producer seems to have jumped on this bandwagon creating a wall of assorted shades of pink on our local wine store shelves. Not all rosé wines are the same as the method of production and the grape variety have a tremendous impact on taste and texture. Saving that proverbial rabbit hole for a later topic, suffice it to say that for this type of affair I tend to look toward southern France.

The Mediterranean coastal areas of France tend to grow red varieties that produce crisp, fruity and sometimes quite sturdy rosé wines. Being a self-professed acidophile, I gravitate toward these not only for their bright freshness but also their ability to pair so well with food. Although you could treat mom to a liquid only brunch, I somehow think that might change what you both do for the rest of the day and impact your inheritance.

As an aside, there is another cocktail opportunity when serving rosé wines. In general, using wines as a cocktail base has largely been overlooked and seemingly relegated to sparkling wines only. The bright acid, fruitiness, and beautiful color of a rosé make it a perfect starting point to experiment with added flavors to create a fun customized drink for your gathering. As with the sparkling wine, we want a rosé that drinks well on its own, serves as a good cocktail starter and won’t have your mother think you frivolous with money.

We could easily perform a successful brunch with the aforementioned wines and their cocktail spin-offs but we want to be beverage inclusive. Some mothers may shun all this fancy beverage tom-foolery, opting for a simple glass of white wine. Especially on Mother’s Day, if momma wants it…she gets it.

Chablis

There are a plethora of crisp acidic whites that would fit the bill here, but momma deserves something special. Chardonnay loves brunch foods but I shy away from those heavy, clunky, over-oaked expressions from yesteryear. Instead, a quality-driven Chablis gives us that bright palate cleansing acid with the added interest of a mineral edge. If it is good enough for the Florence Wine and Food 2024 Private Reserve section, then even the most fastidious matriarchal palate should be satisfied.

Pinot Noir

I would be profiling to assume that your mother would not prefer a glass of red wine (or two) as an accompaniment to her special meal. Although, we certainly can make the necessary menu concessions to accommodate a red flavored wine, I would narrow the choices to those lower in tannin and lighter on the palate. A Pinot Noir, specifically one from Oregon, works wonderfully here for a few reasons. Pinot from areas like Willamette Valley tend to have moderate alcohol levels, a bright acidity and show a complexity of fruit and earthiness that always seem to ‘scratch one’s palatal itch’.

Pinot is fairly versatile but there are some pairings that always seem to work and some that are devastatingly bad with this variety. I avoid spicy food (hot peppers), pungent cheeses (Stilton) and mollusks (oysters) with these wines as they always seem to have a poor outcome. Likewise, foods that have certain herbs (thyme, sage), spices (cumin, cinnamon) and earthy foods (mushroom, lentils) perform extremely well with Pacific Northwest Pinot Noir.

As you prepare a homage to the mother-figure in your life, take the opportunity to concoct a wine-inspired brunch to show her your appreciation. A brunch preparation can appear daunting due to the endless choices of food and wine but these suggestions can, at least, give you a starting point. It is worth the effort for this wonderful lady, besides you are probably one of the reasons she drinks. Happy Mother’s Day!

Recommended Wines and Cocktail Ideas

Ferrari Sparkling NV Brut             Trento DOC, Italy             ($30)

This 100% Chardonnay wine is produced by traditional method, where the second ferment takes place inside the bottle. The nose has overt orchard fruit (apple, pear) with an added floral note and hints of freshly baked bread crust; a testament to the 15 months it spends on the lees (expired yeast). The palate shows a crisp acidity with the aromas carrying through to the palate with an added slight tangerine on the finish. Pair with scrambled eggs with goat cheese and buttered toast or quiche Lorraine.

Southern Sun Dress

½ oz orange juice

½ oz strawberry juice

½ oz watermelon juice

Sparkling wine

Ice cubes

In a Highball or Collins glass add together the three juices and stir

Place in ice cubes

Slowly pour in sparkling wine to top off the glass

Garnish with sliced strawberry

Triennes Rosé 2022        Méditerranée Indication Géographique Protégée ($21)

The wine is sourced from grapes located in the Provence / Southern Rhone areas of France and is principally Cinsault, with Grenache, Syrah and Merlot rounding out the blend. The nose bursts with aromas of cherry stone, raspberry, melon rind, and jasmine. The dry palate has a crunchy red fruit acidity, a sturdy medium body with a very slight perception of chalky tannin. Flavors of cherry, strawberry, melon rind, cherry leaf, and a slight citrus pith element continue throughout the finish. Pair this with smoked salmon and tomato pie.

Pink Lady Cocktail

1/3 cup simple syrup (more or less to taste)

1 cup unsweetened lemonade

2 cups rosé wine

Add contents into pitcher and mix

Pour ¾ full into ice filled glasses

Top with club soda

Jean Marc Brocard Sainte Claire 2022     Chablis, France                 ($28)

This 100% Chardonnay hails from the Sainte Claire single vineyard in the village of Préhy. The wine has a complex nose of ripe orchard fruit (pear), yellow plum and citrus (clementine, pink grapefruit), fresh cut leafy herbs and an interesting gunflint minerality. The palate is dry with a slight creaminess and a citrus-laden crushed limestone minerality on the finish. Pair with crab cake eggs benedict or shrimp and grits.

Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir 2019          Willamette Valley, Oregon           ($30)

The reserve Pinot is select barrels from the best growing sites of that vintage. The nose emulates a smoky red fruit (strawberry, cherry, raspberry), baking spices, earthy (cedar, wet leaves after an autumn rain). The palate is dry with a fresh crunchy red fruit acid structure. The fine-grained tannins add texture cumulating in a cherry cola nut finish. One of many successes by winemaker Stephen Webber. Pair with frittata containing earthy flavors (thyme, mushrooms) or bacon wrapped bacon.