Lifestyle & Enjoyment: Mother's & Father's Day Wine Pairings
My favorite Mother’s Day is always celebrated outside. When the kids were little, having a picnic was restful for me and fun for the kids. I still try and soak up every minute of the outdoors whenever possible and after a Maine winter I am especially excited for Spring’s arrival. I always believe both in design and in life that enjoyment and savoring moments with loved ones is the most important thing we can do, so I asked my favorite Wine Expert, my husband Don to give us some wine pairings to savor for upcoming spring celebrations! Cheers to you!
Mother's Day and Father's Day are just around the corner, and Kim asked me to recommend a wine for each, a Mother's Day brunch, and a Father's Day BBQ. That's a tall order as there are hundreds of wines you could recommend for brunch or a BBQ, and many factors could push your decision in one direction or another, with what's on the menu being the most obvious. I completely chickened out. I could not pick just one wine for each, so, just for fun, we chose two varietals that we both enjoy. For the Mother's Day brunch, we decided on Sancerre, a French Sauvignon Blanc, and for the Father's Day BBQ, a Saint-Josephs, a French Syrah from the Rhone region. Here's why…
Mother’s Day brunch table set in the beautiful spring garden.
For the most part, Sancerre is a white wine made of 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes in the Loire Valley. It pairs well with lighter foods like Chicken, Turkey, Vegetables, Sushi, and other white fish. Stay away from anything, particularly oily, rich, or buttery, and you have a fantastic match with Sancerre. What does it taste like? Kim and I think it tastes fabulous. It is high in acidity, and the flavors that we often taste are citrus, lemon, lime, grapefruit, mango, and even some peach. If you let it finish long enough, you can taste some vanilla, although you have to be patient to get there. It's a phenomenal summer daytime sipper, light refreshing, and not overly alcoholic. It's a significant change from the oaky, heaviness of Chardonnay and perfect for brunch! Unlike many French wines, the other nice thing about Sancerre is that it is not ridiculously expensive. You can spend a ton on one if you want to, but you will generally find them quite reasonable, anywhere from $15 to $50, for the top end.
Last year our BBQ had a nice lobster addition … perfect for a surf and turf situation!
BBQ time, baby! Generally, I think of something rich and spicey, like a zinfandel or a primitivo. But not this time. Nah, let's stay in France and grab a bottle of Saint Joseph's. Most often, a northern Rhone Syrah. Why? Well, it's just delicious, that's why, and like Sancerre, you don't have to break the bank to buy a bottle. For sure you can drop hundreds of dollars or more to get the most hyped and highly rated Saints Josephs on the market, but you can generally pick up a killer bottle in the 30-dollar range or just a skosh more. Deep, concentrated, and not overly extracted, you can often taste pepper, spice, caramel, chocolate, blueberry, or a toasted Marshmallow. Saint Josephs is one of my all-time favorites for BBQ's smokey, sweet, and zippy flavor. Be it Mother's or Father's Day, splurge a bit and give Sancerre and Saint Josephs a whirl. You won't be disappointed.
Cheers!
Don and Kim
