Let Mother's Day go with a bang!

Feb 28 2008 By Laurence Mccoy

FLOWERS and chocolates are the obvious choice, but a bottle of something a little bit different could make an ideal alternative for a Mother's Day present on Sunday. And if you're lucky she may well share it with you!

Celebrations seem to suggest something fizzy and very appropriate is the original Grande Dame of Champagne, Veuve Clicquot, whose distinctive Yellow Label Non Vintage (widely available at around £28) would make a perfect toast to make mum know she's appreciated.

There are many sweet alternatives to fizz however. It may not be too fashionable but Madeira does not deserve its associations with old dears and visiting vicars. It must be one of the most underrated wines around and a bottle goes a long way. Blandy's Duke of Clarence Rich Madeira (widely available around £8.99) would accompany a special Mother's Day cake perfectly.

Famous sweet wines come from Germany and a good value version is Kendermanns Beerenauslese (£6.99 at Tesco).

The grapes are left on the vine and become affected by the much-prized botrytis or "noble rot" which concentrates the sugars. The result is sweetly but with a streak of acidity to keep it fresh.

The Old World does not have a monopoly on this style of wine. Australia produces many examples. Award-winning Cookoothama Botrytis Semillon comes in a very trendy thin, narrow bottle and is packed with apricot fruit and creamy spiciness (£9.99 per half bottle, contact Myliko Wines www.myliko.co.uk)

Muscat is a grape that is made into a variety of different styles, from dry, aromatic whites to thick, darkly sweet Australian "stickies". Muscat de St Jean de Minervois (£3.99 a half-bottle at Sainsbury), from the south of France, has light marmalade sweetness and delicate but refreshing grapiness despite its 15 per cent alcohol.

Finally for an exotic choice Gewurztraminer is usually recogniseable by an aroma of lychees and a luscious and oily richness. Cave de Turkheim in Alsace produces a good value example (widely available around £6.99) which has honeyed fruit and a pervasive aroma of Turkish Delight!

From New Zealand, Villa Maria's Gewurztraminer (widely available around £8.99) is a delicious dry but succulent, tropical fruit version.