Why Mother’s Day is associated so closely with brunch remains, for the most part, a mystery.
Sure, you can search it up online (as I did), but most of the answers provided are some variation on “It’s a way to celebrate mom.” OK, fine, but why is mom’s special day inextricably linked to that festive, pesky meal that falls between breakfast and lunch?
If you’re brunching with mom for Mother’s Day this year, or simply getting together with some friends/family for the midday feast, here are some fun, fresh wines that will make your brunch sing…
Brunches often start with a mimosa, but the Villa Conchi NV Brut Reserva (Cava, Spain — $22.49, Liquor Marts and beyond) is actually too good a bubbly to be mixing with orange juice. A blend of indigenous Macabeo, Paralleda and Xarel-lo grapes, as well as Chardonnay, this sparkling wine made in the traditional method is medium straw in colour and aromatically offers ripe red apple, lemon and peach notes, along with bread dough, mineral and herbal notes. It’s bone-dry, light-bodied and zippy, with crisp bubbles and medium acidity coming with crunchy apple, lemon-lime and chalky notes, a hint of white pepper and a yeasty, doughy finish. Grab an entry-level cava or prosecco for your mimosa, and enjoy this tasty sparkling on its own. It’s a particularly good value right now, as it’s on sale (it’s regularly $24.99). 4.5/5
Vinho Verde is a great brunch option — these white wines from northern Portugal tend to be light and crisp, are slightly lower in alcohol and often come with a hint of effervescence. The Adega Monção 2022 Alvarinho Trajadura (Vinho Verde, Portugal — around $17, private wine stores) is made from the native Alvarinho grape; it’s pale straw in colour, and aromatically brings fresh green apple, pear, herbal, lemon-lime and chalky notes. It’s light-bodied and dry, with a hint of spritz that adds freshness to the lemon-lime, crunchy apple and crisp pear flavours, with medium-plus acidity providing great verve alongside the lingering subtle fizz and the chalky note. The alcohol’s 12 per cent on this lively white; available at De Nardi Wines. 4/5
Sauvignon Blanc is similarly refreshing, and its flavour profile (particularly in New Zealand examples) tends to work well with egg dishes and other tough-to-pair-with-wine foods such as asparagus. The Decibel 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand — around $21, private wine stores) comes from the north island of New Zealand; it’s pale straw in colour and delivers crabapple, gooseberry, lemon-lime, chalky and subtle bell pepper aromas. It’s dry, crisp and racy — light-bodied but intense — with tart gooseberry, grapefruit and green apple flavours, some secondary tropical fruit notes, mouth-watering acidity and a modest 12.5 per cent alcohol on the finish. Exceedingly fresh and decently complex; available at most private wine stores. 4/5
Same grape, different region and flavour profile — the François Lurton 2022 Fumées Blanches Sauvignon Blanc (France — $16.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is similarly pale straw in colour, with more understated green apple skin, ripe lemon and lime and subtle chalky and herbal notes aromatically. It’s a dry, light-bodied white, with ripe but tart citrus and green apple flavours and that underlying herbal note, offering medium acidity and some chalkiness. Would work well with salads, milder creamy cheeses or eggs Benedict. 3.5/5
From Spain comes the Les Vins Bonhomme 2022 El Petite Bonhomme Blanco (Rueda, Spain — $19.99, Liquor Marts and beyond), an organic, vegan Spanish Verdejo that’s a little fleshier than Sauvignon Blanc. Pale straw in colour, it delivers crunchy apple, lemon-lime, herbal and honeyed notes on the nose. There’s a bit of viscosity on the light-plus-bodied palate, bringing fresh citrus, green apple and mango flavours, moderate acidity, an underlying herbal and honeycomb note and a medium-length finish. A crowd pleaser that should match with all manner of brunch items. 3.5/5
Speaking of viscosity, the Pierre Sparr 2021 Grande Réserve Pinot Gris (Alsace, France — around $30, private wine stores) brings it in spades. Medium gold in colour, this Alsatian Pinot Gris offers ripe peach, honeycomb, red apple, green grape and fresh floral aromas. It’s medium-plus bodied, almost oily in texture and modestly sweet, which accentuates the ripe peach, apple, mango and tropical fruit flavours, the honeyed component and a subtle waxy note, all coming with modest acidity before a decent-length finish (it’s 13 per cent alcohol). Great complexity and texture here; it would work brilliantly with your brunch-y desserts. Available at the Pourium. 4/5
Thinking pink wine? The Cono Sur 2022 Bicicleta Pinot Noir Rosé (Bío-Bío Valley, Chile — $14.99/1L bottle, Liquor Marts and beyond) continues to be a well-priced and tasty option. Made from grapes grown in the Bío-Bío Valley in Chile’s extreme southern reaches, this pink wine made from Pinot Noir is pale orange-rose in colour, with delicate strawberry, peach, watermelon and raspberry candy aromas. It’s mainly dry and light-bodied, with ripe red berry, peach and sweet orange flavours, modest acidity and a crisp, clean finish. A very good value, particularly considering it’s a one-litre bottle. 3.5/5
@bensigurdson
Ben Sigurdson
Literary editor, drinks writer
Ben Sigurdson edits the Free Press books section, and also writes about wine, beer and spirits.
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