Top Wines To Celebrate Mother’s Day

By Kurt A. Eichsteadt
Editorial Assistant

Whether you’re taking her out or preparing a special dinner at home, here’s some help on how to celebrate Mother’s Day 2008.

Mother’s Day may date back as far as ancient Greece and Rome, and while it’s celebrated on the second Sunday in May in the United States, it is observed in other forms in other countries.

Mothering Day in Ireland and the United Kingdom falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday, and is believed to have originated in the 16th Century. In Mexico, May 10 is Dia de Las Madres and residents typically exchange chocolates and cards. Canada basically copies the United States, with an emphasis on doing chores for Mom and cooking her supper.

The first modern Mother’s Day in the United States was celebrated in 1908, with some states making it an official holiday starting in 1912. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mothers’ Day as a day for American citizens to honor those mothers whose sons had died in war.

According the National Restaurant Association, Mother’s Day is now the most popular day of the year to dine out in the United States.

Elsewhere in the Gazette, you’ll find a complete listing to local restaurants in our Mother’s Day Roundup section.

If you’re not taking your mom out, (or maybe if you are) here are the top five Mother’s Day wines, courtesy of the Epicurious.com Web Site.

1. Terrameter 2004 Zinfandel Shiraz, Maipo Valley Chile. Terrameter means “Mother Earth.”

2. Gallo Family Vineyards Sonoma Reserve 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker Gina Gallo graduated from the viticulture program at UC Davis and learned her craft from her grandfather Julio, who started the business in 1933.

3. Peter Lehman 2007 Eden Valley Riesling, Australia. His wine bottles often feature women and this one displays the Queen of Clubs, honoring the winemakers who took a great risk in the 1970s to establish the Australian Wine industry.

4. Veuve Clicqout champagnes. Many French Champagnes use the word “Veuve,” which means widow, honoring the women who ran wineries after their husbands died.

5. Merry Edwards Cuvee Meredith 2005 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley, Sonoma. Merry Edwards is the winemaker and owner. She was one of the first women to earn a Master’s degree with an emphasis on enology from UC Davis.

The basic rules for matching wines with food are red wines with beef, lamb and other red meats, and white wines with white-fleshed foods like chicken and fish. You can’t go wrong with Champagne.

And remember the basic rule: drink what you like. Or, in this case, serve what your Mom likes.