Mother’s Day – Why You Shouldn’t Buy Her a Goat
MOTHER’S DAY – WHY YOU SHOULDN’T BUY HER A GOAT
Ahh… Mother’s Day. It should be fairly easy to get right. If you remember the right Sunday of course! I have had mixed luck with my offerings of love to my Mother. Last year I thought I would be extra creative and adopt her a goat in Mongolia. She’s an animal lover and she could sleep well at night knowing that the milk from that goat was sustaining a family of 7. What could go wrong? My mother has perfected her perturbed but I am really ‘pleasantly surprised face’ – she has now had to put up with over 25 years of my ‘imaginative’ gifts.
I still think it would have been well received had my sister, the poet, not then handed her ‘The Emma Press Anthology of Motherhood ’. “If you turn to page 32 I think you might know that poet,” she modestly murmured. I hope the family in Mongolia have enjoyed a delicious goat curry.
If any one does genuinely want a fantastic collection of motherhood inspired poetry please just go here: http://theemmapress.com/books/the-emma-press-anthology-of-motherhood/
One thing which I have learnt over the years is that any gift is rectified by the appearance of a bottle of sparkling rosé. This is where I can absolutely trump the tee total sister! So please peruse the below offerings. All of them are different styles and from different places which will hopefully appeal to a range of different mums. All of them though I think would go wonderfully with goat curry, providing it was mildly spiced!
Taittinger Prestige Rosé Cuvée NV Champagne France
The Classic – If your mother is a traditionalist then this is the ultimate contemporary classic. It is from an internationally respected family run Champagne house and is one of my favourites due to its elegant structure which is absolutely bursting with juicy strawberry and cherry fruit. Even the cheeky colour hints that you will have a good time. It’s a serious Champagne that does not take itself too seriously. And I definitely had a good time with its owner – Vitalie Taittinger. Check out the video link to see how we much we enjoyed a glass….or two!
Stockists: Hatch Mansfield, Ocado, The Drink shop online, Lea and Sandeman, The Oxford Wine Merchant, Majestic Wine
RSP: £45 – £47
Wiston Estate Sparkling Rosé
South Downs 2011
Best of British – If your mum only watches the BBC, eats Cadbury for chocolate, does all her shopping at M and S and might have one… or possibly 10 bits of Royal family paraphernalia- then this is the option for you. This sparkling Rose is made by the original winemaker behind England’s famous Nyetimber Bubbles. I love this Rosé as it reminds me of walking through an English forest in autumn. The rhubarb and red berry fruit is there but so is a wonderful refreshing earthy spice. An elegant and complex Rosé which I love to confuse people with as a Champagne at blind tastings!
Stockists: www.swig.co.uk
RSP: £39.00
Vilarnau Brut Rosé
Catalunya, Spain
The Young at Heart – You know who I mean. She is the ultimate fun mum who does not get easily fazed and who all your friends go to for support and life advice. She is the one who people invite to her daughter’s hen do as she will be the court jester, providing the laughs and also the credit card to enable a good time. How could she not just fall in love with this bottle in all its Gaudi esque glory? Chic and different on the outside; the elegant Rosé Cava inside also stands out from the crowd. This is fruitier than Champagne due to its lower acidity and has a seductive silky creaminess which makes it easy to pour another glass.. or four.
Stockists (gift pack with 2 flutes): Whitmore & White, Amazon
RSP: £25.00
La Jara Pinot Grigio Spumante Rosé
Veneto, Italy
The Discerning Hedonist – Your mother knows what she wants and is determined not to follow the crowd. Nor does she really give a damn what they think. My mother has always preferred Prosecco to Champagne as she finds the acidity levels in the latter too high. She has confidence in her tastes and will not let peers or marketing lead her astray. This one is for her in mind. A gorgeous ballet slipper pink Rosé – this is actually made in the same way as Prosecco from the Pinot Grigio grape. The bubbles are soft and the taste of wild strawberries and a New York deli’s cheesecake come to mind. For something so dainty looking – it is full of personality and has a forceful finesse not to be messed with. A bit like my mother now come to think of it….
Stockists: www.swig.co.uk
RSP: £15.00