Why French Wine is the Best Mother’s Day Gift Idea
Looking for that perfect gift idea for a very special Mom this Mother’s Day? Why not give the gift of French wine! Thanks to its chic image and seductive air of “je ne sais quoi” (French for “I don’t know what”), a bottle or two of delicious French wine is the ideal choice to impress and treat the Mom who already has it all. You’re sure to find something Mom will love, since France produces everything from hearty reds and crisp whites to delicate sparkling wines and refreshing rosés.
Perfect For Sophisticated Tastes
If your Mom (or your wife, if you’re buying for the kids!) loves perfumes, gorgeous jewellery and the finer things in life, she’s sure to appreciate the thoughtful gift of exquisite French wine. In France wine is regarded as an essential part of life with many people even enjoying a regular glass or two alongside their midday and evening meals. Wine is deeply ingrained in the culture and most French learn at an early age to appreciate and enjoy good wine.
While here in America we’ve been a bit slower to embrace wine as a cornerstone of our daily lives, French wine is still a symbol of sophisticated taste. Giving the gift of wine on Mother’s Day is not only a chic offering – you’re also taking Mom on a journey to a whole other culture and lifestyle! It’s the perfect way to bring back memories of a trip to Europe or to entice your Mom to want to see and taste more of the world.
Over in France it is typical to drink wine alongside food which is why the French have developed an elaborate way of pairing wine with particular dishes. If you really want to go all out, why not consider picking up some delicious French ingredients like charcuterie or cheese so Mom can treat herself to a real taste of France without even leaving her dining room. As a general rule, stick to red wines with red meats and white wines for fish, chicken, and most cheeses.
Small Family-Run Producers
Here at somMailier, we source all of our wines from family-run small producers in France. Laurent Yung, our founder, comes from a long line of Bordeaux winemakers and his family’s excellent contacts across the country enable us to discover very limited production artisanal wines. He makes regular trips to France where he partners with his brother, Patrick, who has been working in the French wine industry for decades.
One of our favorite small production wines is the Michelas St Jemms Crozes Hermitage is crafted by four siblings, Sylvie, Florence, Corinne, and Sebastien, who took over the running of their parents’ winery in the Rhone Valley wine region in the south of France in 1988. Some of the vineyards are located on steep slopes which ensure maximum exposure to the sun so the grapes ripen perfectly. The gradient also makes these plots very difficult to access, meaning they must be hand-harvested and ploughed by horse.
Their magnificent red Hermitage wine is made from 100% Syrah grapes which thrive in the warm dry climate of the Rhone Valley. Bursting with blackcurrant, dried herbs, and leather notes, it’s sure to be a hit with lovers of big reds and is ideal to drink now alongside hearty red meat dishes like beef stews, rib eye steak or even a tomato-based pasta dish.
These wines are exclusively available in the United States through somMailier, so you can rest assured that you won’t find them for sale anywhere else! Why not give a truly unique Mother’s Day gift by choosing from our vast selection ready to be delivered directly to Mom’s front porch.
A Whole World Of Different Wines
At roughly the same size as Texas France is a relatively small country compared to the United States, but it has been making wine for more than 2000 years. Over those years French winemakers have learnt a thing or two about making fantastic wines, and today the country produces a wealth of different wine styles.
If your Mom loves delicate pink wines, look no further than our Via Caritatis Lux In Domino Rosé which is crafted from 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah. Via Caritatis means “way of charity” in Latin and the project represents an unusual collaboration between local winemakers and monks. Sainte Madeleine de Barroux Abbey teamed up with the Beaumont de Ventoux cooperative to create some very special wines from their combined 30 hectares of vines in the foothills of Mount Ventoux in the Southern Rhone Valley.
This divine rosé is bursting with ripe strawberry, raspberry and dried herbal notes while the first sip offers a mouthwatering freshness which is just fantastic on hot summer days. We love to pair this wine with summer produce such as a bright summer salad with plenty of tomatoes, mozzarella and leafy greens or even some fresh sushi. It’s also great enjoyed well chilled by the pool or for picnics in the great outdoors.
For an extra special celebration, why not splash out on a bottle or two of Champagne like our Paul Michel Premier Cru. By European law Champagne has to be made in its namesake region in northern France and there are very strict rules on how it is made. All Champagnes must be produced according to the labour-intensive “méthode champenoise” which is said to have been discovered by a 17th century monk called Dom Perignon.
According to a (probably) invented legend, sparkling wine was the by-product of a happy accident when wine left in the cellars started fermenting again. Dom Perignon realised what had happened and sampled his very first glass of bubbly exclaiming, “Come quickly, I am tasting stars!”.
Whether or not this romatic tale is true, over the years Champagne has become the drink of choice for celebrities and royalty thanks to its refined flavor profile and delicate bubbles. The second fermentation to create the bubbles happens inside the Champagne bottle itself which helps to create a deliciously toasty notes and hints of brioche and pastries.
By law Champagne must also be aged in the cellar for 12 months on the lees or the dead yeast cells, followed by another 3 months at least in the bottle. Many top quality producers, like Paul Michel, age their Champagnes for far longer than this, making it the perfect gift for a Mom with refined tastes!
Send A Wine Club Gift Subscription
If you’re struggling to choose which wines to send, you can always consider giving Mom a wine club subscription. Our three or six bottle subscriptions go out quarterly, meaning that every few months Mom receives a new selection of delicious French wines delivered direct to her door. You can even personalise the selection to match your Mom’s wine preferences by choosing all reds, all whites, or a mix of the two.
This is a great option for adventurous Moms or those who love learning new things as each shipment includes educational and informative wine cards for each of the wines in the box. Each card tells the story of the winery, gives tasting notes on the wine, and helps you to understand why the wine tastes the way it does. This makes the wine club a really interactive experience as members can look forward to conducting their own tasting sessions and trying out the suggested food pairings for each bottle. If you’re lucky, she might even invite you over to join in!
If you still need convincing, we’ll leave you with the words of one of our many satisfied customers, Jodie:
“Just received a lovely assortment of French wine. The cards are a thoughtful and helpful addition. Details provided on each wine, suggested pairings, as well as information about the region, will only enhance our drinking pleasure!”
Has this whetted your appetite to learn more about French wine? We’re here to help! Why not check out our French wine club. Every three months we send direct to your door three or six bottles of boutique French wines which have been carefully selected by our family and wine experts in France along with detailed information about each wine and food pairing ideas to help you really discover French wine. And as if that wasn’t enough, we also have a wine club gift option for that special wine lover in your life!
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