It's mother's day this
Sunday and Martin will be discussing what vinous present you might
consider buying alongside the usual flowers and chocolates on
News Talk 106FM’s Dublin Life show today (17/3/2004) after the 3pm news.
Mother's
day to my surprise wasn't invented by the Hallmark card company but stems
from the worship of the mothers of several of their gods in Greek and
Roman times. This was a tradition picked up by Christians who celebrated Mary,
mother of their God on the forth Sunday of Lent. In the Victorian era this
was expanded on both sides of the Atlantic to include all mothers - hence
'Mothering Sunday'.
Mostly
it seems we buy flowers or chocolates but if you are buying some wine let
me suggest some fizz to go with the flowers and some and sweet wine with
the chocs.
It's
a special day so don't go for own label fizz. If your budget includes
Champagne the obvious pun is Mumm, but better still is a good brand like
Bollinger, Veuve Cliquot, Louis Roederer or Charles Heidseick. If it's
Aussie you're after go for Green Point or Jansz and or from California the
obvious choice is Mumm Cuvée Napa, while Cava from Spain has improved
hugely in the last few years so Freixenet or Cordoniu would fit the bill.
Good
chocolate and something sweet to sip with them are an indulgent treat.
That could be just a glass of Baileys but there are plenty of good wines
to choose. Best is probably Mas Amiel, an A.C. Maury fortified grenache
imported by Bubble Brothers of Cork and sold in good independents. One grape
though has many different incarnations and they all work to a degree and
that's muscat. Light frothy Asti will go with chocolate mousse and Aussie
Liqueur muscat is a treat with dark chocolates. Today in the studio we'll
be tasting Slovenian chocolate truffles washed down by MR
Moscatel 2000 by Telmo Rodriquez, imported by Approach Trade
from Carrick on Suir (051 640164) but available from good independents
around the country for around €13 - 14.
Happy
St Patrick's, if you want to drink green then go organic and pop into
Tesco or M & S where both have a fair selection
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