It’s Mothering Sunday this week and as mums up and down the country prepare to have their decades of love and loyal support rewarded with another bland but well-meaning scarf and some bath salts, I am here to inspire you to treat that wine-loving mother in your life to something a little more exciting.
As delightful as that bouquet of flowers may be, wine is not only far more delicious, but you can give it the personal touch too. Amathus Drinks are presenting an engraving service for bottles bought online or at their flagship store in Soho (£10 per bottle, amathusdrinks.com). The engraving can include a date, name, message, meaningful quote or even an image, so once the wine is done, the bottle remains as a memento to be upcycled as a vase or candle holder for years to come.
England’s Chapel Down won a spectacular 11 awards at WineGB 2023 and was served at the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton, so this a pretty premium drop. They are currently offering some stylish personalisation across the foil of their sparkling wines (Brut £40, Rosé £43, Giftbox £3, all from chapeldown. com), which would delight any patriotic lover of fizz.
For the fans of English wine who also adore a spot of pampering, allow me to recommend ‘The Radiant Rose Set’ by Sussex’s Wiston Estate. This combines wine and beauty with a bottle of their Fifty Summers Rosé 2022, a silky still wine full of peach blossom, strawberries and juicy cherries, with a Heritage Beauty Trio by organic Sussex company ‘Green People’. The set includes a vitamin fix 24-hour cream, a night cream and a gentle cleanser (£55, wistonestate.com).
For the other halves out there, yes, a cup of tea in bed and a bit of a lie in is very much appreciated but what many women I know want, especially when in the throes of motherhood, is a little quality time. Leave the kids with a willing friend and take the time, just the two of you, to escape to the countryside and indulge together.
The multi-award winning Gusbourne is hosting an exclusive, behind-the-scenes winery tour followed by a Pinot Noir Vertical Tasting on 23 March. Guests will not only be some of the first to try the newly released wine, but they will also have the opportunity to sample older vintages from their cellars and follow the development of these brilliant reds. Then it is on to a three-course lunch, specifically created by their head chef to showcase these bottles and, after all that, there’s time for a romantic stroll in the vineyards too (£115, gusbourne.com).
As for myself, I will be coveting something truly luxurious in the form of the new CDA Nancy Retro Drinks Cooler. I am constantly running out of places to keep my wine and this beautiful fridge holds up to 15 bottles and eight cans – just enough for my Mother’s Day stash. Stylish enough to elevate any home, it comes in white, tea rose pink and my own favourite, dark skies blue and gold. It also includes a handy wireless phone charger, putting in mind Oscar Wilde’s interior design philosophy “have nothing in your home that is not beautiful or useful”. Wonderfully this is both (£369 at Wickes) though I suspect it may be beyond the budget of my four-year-old.
This Mother’s Day I shall be more than happy with my anticipated sticky handmade card, though I retain hopes that it may come with a bottle of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Petal Robe (£80, selfridges. com). The latest limited-edition from the House, this is one of the few rosé champagnes created solely from Pinot Noir black grapes, instead of blending red and white wines together.
The gloriously fresh, fruity champagne is encased in a beautiful “robe” of enamel in shimmering hues of rose and apricot. Beautiful inside and out – just like your mum.
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