5 Sips for Supermoms: Heroic Drinks That Match Her Powers

Mother’s Day is this weekend, and whether you were raised by a mom or by another special woman who shared her wisdom along the way, we all know she isn’t just a parent, she’s a one-woman superhero squad.

So today, we’re toasting her invisible talents with five drinks that match her superpowers, sip for sip. Who better to help us than our favourite drinks expert Natalie MacLean, editor Canada’s largest wine review site at nataliemaclean.com.

Welcome, Natalie.

Great to be back with you! I brought all my super friends here to celebrate mom because she’s faster than a speeding text chat, has supersonic hearing that detects a cookie jar opening downstairs, and can glide past a sulky teenager in a single bound. Every one of her superpowers deserves a drink and a Marvel movie.

Let’s start with our first drink.

Smirnoff Ice Light Crisp Citrus
Quebec, Canada

We’re kicking off with Smirnoff Ice Light Crisp Citrus, made in Quebec, for our Time Traveler Mom. She can stretch a thirty-minute dinner into a three-hour conversation, turn a five-minute hug into a full soul reset, and remember exactly when you last called grandma.

Smirnoff Ice Light has that same time-bending magic to make hosting effortless. Its gentle fizz and just 4% alcohol that makes the evening linger longer. This light version keeps all the refreshment and flavour but with fewer calories than other canned cocktails.

Feel free to try Smirnoff Ice Light Crisp Citrus.

You can enjoy it straight up or as a cocktail in a highball glass if you want to be a little extra.

On the nose, you get bright citrus flavours, the kind of zest that spritzes up a sunny afternoon. The sip is zesty, fizzy, and refreshing. Wouldn’t this be lovely with crispy fish tacos on a warm patio?

I should note that all the drinks we’re tasting today are in the LCBO.

More Pairings

Lost-and-found lemon shrimp skewers, charred over an open flame, glistening with garlic butter, fresh parsley, and a finishing crackle of flaky sea salt.

Where-did-it-go watermelon and feta salad, ice-cold cubes of fruit tumbling over salty creamy cheese, with torn mint leaves and a bright squeeze of lime.

What’s next?

Oyster Bay Pinot Grigio
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

Up next is Oyster Bay Pinot Grigio from Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand to toast Mom, the Finder of Lost Things. In thirty seconds, she can locate a single sock under Mount Laundry, the TV remote that vanished into the sofa cushions, and the truth in a teenager’s story.

Oyster Bay has its own kind of finder energy. Their winemakers go vineyard parcel by vineyard parcel, picking out the freshest, purest fruit flavours and bottling them before a single note gets lost on the way from vine to glass.

What makes Oyster Bay stand out is the regional designation on every label. While many New Zealand brands blend fruit from across the country, Oyster Bay tells you exactly where each wine comes from.

This Pinot Grigio is 100% Hawke’s Bay, captured in their state-of-the-art facility in the heart of the region. It’s the boutique craftsmanship of a small estate paired with the reach of a global producer.

Feel free to try Oyster Bay Pinot Grigio.

The wine pours pale gold with a hint of green. On the nose, crisp pear, white peach, and a whisper of lemon blossom.

The palate is refreshing with a citrus edge and a firm backbone, which is exactly why mom loves it so much. It’s the wine that turns a quick supper into the whole evening.

Wouldn’t this be brilliant with a creamy lemon linguine with sweet Dungeness crab?

This wine is not only available at the LCBO, but you can also find it at grocery and convenience stores.

More Pairings

Prawn ceviche, ice-cold tiger prawns swimming in lime juice with cilantro, a soft kick of jalapeño, and crisp tortilla chips for scooping.

Goat cheese tart, warm flaky pastry layered with caramelized onions, fresh thyme straight from the garden, and a drizzle of wildflower honey.
Host: What’s our third drink today?

Gérard Bertrand Gris Blanc Rosé
Pays d’Oc I.G.P., France

Now we’re heading to sunny southern France with Gérard Bertrand’s Gris Blanc Rosé, our wine for Mom, the Heart Healer. She has this quiet magic where one hug, one cup of tea, or one perfectly timed snack can make everything better.

This rosé has that same gentle comfort. It’s made from hand-picked Grenache grapes that are so fresh and expressive thanks to a beautiful Mediterranean climate and the best vineyards.

Gérard Bertrand is a leading voice in biodynamic winemaking, the highest level of caring for Mother Earth.

Prior to winemaking, Gerard was a professional rugby player before taking over his father’s vineyard at age twenty-two. Today he runs several estates across the Languedoc.

Feel free to try Gérard Bertrand Gris Blanc Rosé.

The wine pours a lovely pale petal pink. The aromas open with white peach, pink grapefruit, and a soft floral lift.

On the palate, you get fresh strawberry, redcurrant, and a citrus zip that finishes dry and refreshing. It’s a glass of sunshine that softens the edges of any day.

Wouldn’t this be irresistible next to fresh shellfish and field greens?

More Pairings

Truth-serum tuna tartare, ruby cubes glistening with sesame oil, tangled with creamy avocado and crisp cucumber, finished with a snap of black pepper.

Caught-in-the-act peach burrata, juicy summer peaches torn over creamy cheese with prosciutto ribbons, fresh basil, and a drizzle of aged balsamic.

And what’s our final drink today?

JoieFarm En Famille Chardonnay
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

We’re coming home again with JoieFarm’s En Famille Chardonnay from BC’s Okanagan Valley, for the Amazing Memory Mom. She remembers every milestone, your favourite meals, and that one thing you said in 2009 that you conveniently forgot.

This Chardonnay holds memories the same way. You’ll always remember where you where the first time you tasted it, it’s so good. JoieFarm “En Famille” is French for “joy with family,” which makes this a beautiful Mother’s Day serve.

The fruit comes from the Con Vida and Secrest Mountain vineyards. Con Vida sits in the Skaha Bench sub-appellation, one of BC’s newest and most exciting additions to the wine map.

Their winemaker Richard Charnock does ambient ferments from natural airborne yeast, which means no commercial yeast and no shortcuts. He lets the land and the grapes do the work, the opposite of helicopter parenting.

His methods have paid off: the 2022 vintage took silver at Chardonnay du Monde, the world’s largest Chardonnay competition. His mother is so proud of him!

Feel free to try JoieFarm En Famille Chardonnay.

On the nose, you get baked pecans, meringue, vanilla bean, and fresh white flowers. I love when my tasting notes start to smell like a bakery. There are layers of orchard fruit, sage, tarragon, and a touch of cinnamon add depth. The finish is long, elegant, and built to age.

On the palate, there are subtle mineral notes of wet rock and granite bring structure, while hints of cherry blossom and baked pine needle evoke the warmth of the valley. The palate is effortlessly creamy yet lifted by mouthwatering acidity. Bright citrus, lemon curd, and crisp apple meet delicate French herbs, apple cinnamon, and the earthy warmth of sunlit pine trees, finishing with a whisper of straw and spice.

This is the Chardonnay that converts ABC crowd Anything But Chardonnay. They arrived skeptical; they left converted. Wouldn’t the Chardonnay be heavenly paired with pan-seared scallops in a brown-butter lemon sauce?

JoieFarm En Famille Pinot Noir
Okanagan Falls, British Columbia

I also have the JoieFarm Pinot Noir, a gorgeous red now also available in Ontario. This is a generous, fruit-forward Pinot with a round, silky smooth texture. This is the wine you want to drink tonight, even before dinner is on the table.

Possibly before you’ve even decided what dinner will be or you decide to skip dinner and just drink this wine! It’s the kind of bottle that doesn’t require an occasion. It is the occasion.

Elegant and expressive, this Pinot Noir opens with bright cherry, raspberry jam, and a touch of cinnamon, lifted by notes of small violets. Can you imagine this with Pacific coast cedar-plank salmon?

More Pairings

Family-secret roast chicken, golden-skinned and herb-crusted, with rosemary potatoes crackling in the pan juices and a wedge of warm lemon.

Never-forgets mushroom risotto, creamy Arborio rice slowly stirred with porcini and aged Parmesan, finished with a swirl of butter and served warm in shallow bowls.