This Sunday is Mother’s Day. And whether you were raised by a mother or another remarkable woman who shaped your life, you may be looking for a gift that goes beyond the usual flowers and chocolates.
We’ve got you covered. Today, we’re pairing bottles and books for a thoughtful gift she’ll remember. Who better to help us than Natalie MacLean, editor Canada’s largest drinks review site at nataliemaclean.com.
Welcome, Natalie.
Great to be back with you!
Now if Mom says she doesn’t want a gift this Sunday, she is testing you. It is a trap! Give her a book and a bottle, or better yet, give her all of these wines! They’re all perfect for Mother’s Day hosting and gifting.
I love that. Tell us about today’s theme. Why books and bottles?
Every great mom is a storyteller, and every great wine has a story to tell. So I’ve matched each bottle today with a book Mom will love, sometimes by the country, sometimes by the author, sometimes by the spirit of the page itself. And here’s a thoughtful packaging tip. Wrap the bottle and book together in a linen tea towel tied with twine. It’s reusable, it’s pretty, and it doubles as a kitchen gift. Mom wins twice.
Let’s start. What’s our first pairing?
Bottega Il Vino dei Poeti Venezia DOC Spumante Rosé
Veneto DOC, Italy
We’re pairing our first wine with “Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s a celebration of la dolce vita, the Italian good life, especially through food and drink.
This wine’s name, Il Vino dei Poeti, means “The Wine of Poets,” a tribute to artists who expressed the joy of life, much like Elizabeth finds her spark again over a perfect meal.
Crafted by Bottega, a family winery with four centuries of history, this rosé is one of Italy’s most iconic sparkling wines. They were making wine before Jane Austen was making sentences.
The colour alone is visual poetry: a delicate blush pink with a fine, persistent stream of bubbles.
Feel free to try the Bottega Il Vino dei Poeti Rosé.
On the nose, you’ll find cherry, raspberry, and wild blackberry, followed by a soft floral whisper.
Because it’s a brut, it remains dry and sophisticated.
It’s exactly what you’d want in your glass while reading about a life-changing afternoon in an Italian café.
Just imagine how magical this would be paired with grilled octopus or a fresh caprese salad!
More Pairings
- Poet’s spring orzotto: an orzotto rich with spring vegetables, the barley plump and glossy with Parmigiano, scattered with peas, asparagus tips, and a flourish of fresh mint.
- Brunetti’s Venetian fritto misto: a crispy fritto misto of golden calamari, prawns, and zucchini ribbons piled high in a paper cone, served with wedges of lemon and a swipe of lemon aioli.
What’s our next pairing?
Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough, New Zealand
This gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc from Villa Maria pairs beautifully with “The Luminaries” by Eleanor Catton, the Booker Prize-winning novel set in 1860s New Zealand. The combination captures a spring moment of relaxation, reflection and connection. This wine is the elegant extra that mom deserves on her special day.
Villa Maria is one of New Zealand’s most respected wineries, and Marlborough is the Sauvignon Blanc capital of the world. The 2025 vintage just won a gold medal at Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, which is like winning the wine Olympics.
Feel free to try the Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc.
This is classic Marlborough style, bursting with lime zest, lemongrass, grapefruit and a hint of passion fruit. It’s bright, it’s vibrant, and it finishes with that crisp snap that wakes up every taste bud like opening a window to spring after a long winter. How dreamy would this be with seared scallops and capers?
More Pairings
- Marlborough snapper crudo: snapper crudo glistening in yuzu-spiked olive oil, scattered with paper-thin radish slices and tiny green herbs that taste of spring rain.
- Booker Prize mussel pot: a steaming pot of mussels swimming in lemongrass and chili broth, the shells black and glossy, ready to be sopped up with crusty bread torn warm from the oven.
Lovely. What’s our next bottle and book?
Beach Glass Riesling Pinot Grigio
Ontario V.Q.A.
We’re going with two classics, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery and Beach Glass White by Sprucewood Shores Winery. Both are unmistakably Canadian, and both reveal their charm in layers, the way Anne uncovers her family one chapter at a time.
Beach Glass is made at Ontario’s only beachfront winery, and named for those smooth, sea-worn pieces you find on the beaches of Lake Erie North Shore. The wine is a blend that leads with Riesling for that bright top note, then folds in Pinot Grigio for its softer pear and melon side. Like Mom’s best advice, it shines in the sun and reveals its polish with a little time.
Feel free to try Beach Glass.
You’ll smell clean, fresh aromas of grapefruit, lemon curd, and a cool whisper of sea spray on warm stone. On the palate, it’s layered like a fresh Canadian spring morning, crisp at the start, sunny in the middle, with a soft mineral breeze on the finish. It tastes like optimism, but with structure. Wouldn’t this be wonderful with a citrus-glazed salmon warm off the grill?
More Pairings
- Anne’s afternoon lobster roll: a buttery, sun-warmed lobster roll piled high with sweet pink meat tucked into a toasted brioche bun, the kind Mom would unwrap on a summer afternoon by the lake.
- Storybook goat cheese salad: crispy panko-crusted goat cheese rounds resting on a tangle of peppery arugula, drizzled with golden honey and scattered with toasted walnuts that crunch with every forkful.
Beautiful. What’s our final pairing?
French Bloom Le Blanc
Limoux, France
French Bloom Le Blanc pairs beautifully with “My Life in France” by Julia Child, the joyful memoir. Julia found her calling in France, learning to cook with curiosity and elegance. French Bloom Le Blanc carries that same joie de vivre. Both the book and the bottle are rooted in France, and both are perfect for elevated, mindful living.
French Bloom is an alcohol-free sparkling wine co-founded by Constance Jablonski and Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger, whose family name is famous for Champagne. It’s crafted from organic Chardonnay grapes grown in Limoux, in the South of France and is matured in new French oak barrels.
French Bloom was named the World’s Best Alcohol-Free Sparkling for the past three years and has recently been named the official non-alcoholic sparkling wine of Formula 1 for the next decade. A true expression of French luxury and a beautiful, modern option to celebrate Mom in style.
Feel free to try the French Bloom Le Blanc.
You’ll detect citrus zest and crisp pear on the nose, then a creamy, silky texture rolls across the palate with hints of honey and beeswax. It finishes with that elegant saline note you’d expect from a fine French sparkling wine. How elegant would this be with fresh oysters and a squeeze of lemon?
More Pairings
- Salon oysters on the half shell: briny Gillardeau oysters glinting on a bed of crushed ice, served with a sharp mignonette of cracked pepper and minced shallots that mirrors the wine’s mineral finish.
- French chapter gravlax: a delicate plate of salmon gravlax fanned out like petals, dotted with capers and dill, the salt and citrus cure giving the fish a melt-in-your-mouth silkiness.
French Bloom Le Rosé
Limoux, France
I also have French Bloom Le Rosé, a blend of organic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Like Le Blanc, it is also certified organic, vegan, and halal, with no added sugars, sulfites, or preservatives and just 19 calories per glass. Nineteen calories is basically a rounding error. You’ll burn more than that just getting up and going over to the chiller to pour your guests another glass. Mom can enjoy this celebratory pour at brunch or dinner or both.
Feel free to try the French Bloom Le Rosé.
You’ll pick up wild strawberries and rose petals first, then white peach and a pop of red currant. The bubbles dance lightly across the palate, finishing soft, silky, and refreshing. Wouldn’t this sing alongside a bowl of chilled gazpacho swirled with basil oil?
More Pairings
- Julia’s beloved tuna tartare: tuna tartare cubes glistening with a ponzu glaze, piled on a crisp wonton with a dollop of avocado and a sprinkle of black sesame.
- Bon appétit duck breast: slow-roasted duck breast with a glossy cherry reduction, the skin crackling, the meat blushing pink, served over a bed of wilted spring greens.
Natalie, these suggestions are fantastic! Any final words of wisdom for our viewers?
Here’s to the quiet magic of a glass and a page, and to the woman who taught us how to appreciate both.
Thank you, Natalie! Where can we find you and these wines online?
On Instagram, you can find me posting wine reviews and tips at:
Come for the wine, stay for the stories.
Posted with permission of CP24 Breakfast Show. Please drink responsibly.
