Happy Mother's Day! So what do mums actually drink?

[laura]

Happy Mother’s Day! So what do mums actually drink? #wineandprejudice

By Marjorie Cropp, Cellar Showroom Assistant

I came across a book called Why Mummy Drinks by Gill Sims and OMG, I laughed so hard.

In a nutshell, it is the story of a mum of two ‘precious moppets’ as she calls them, working part-time and having to deal with everything life throws at her, from running the household to keeping her children alive and fed, without forgetting the lovely husband who thinks that cooking lasagne is a quick and easy meal to put together (FYI: IT IS NOT).

In order to avoid becoming totally insane, she finds comfort in having a glass or two of wine in the evening – something which I can totally relate to, as can many other mums, I’m sure. I admit it, my ultimate evening target is that the kids are tucked into bed (after bath, stories, a song, goodnight kiss, attempting to go downstairs, chasing away monsters, another song, and a final kiss) so I can finally put my feet up with a lovely glass of red. Bliss!

However, I think that it is somehow a bit too easy to keep us mums only in that category, i.e drinking in order to forget about our horrendously busy day and the worries of everyday life. Indeed, some, if not many of us, actually enjoy wine for more than just its anaesthetic purpose.

Isn’t there too easy a prejudice in the idea that mums don’t know anything about wine, and down it without any appreciation? Of course, not all of us are experts either, but I think that we can be so much more than the stereotypical portrayal of ‘Can I have a glass house white please? Oh no! Let’s go crazy, I’ll have a white zinfandel!’

Furthermore, we mums represent an important market that I believe is forgotten if not disregarded except pretty conveniently around Mother’s Day when we suddenly become a sales target. Unfortunately, supermarket advertisements go down the rather obnoxious route and assume that all we want is sparkling pinot grigio blush and a cuddly bear. Isn’t that too narrow-minded a view for 2018?

Just like men and women who don’t have kids, we all have varied palates. So yes, some mums will love a Prosecco or a white zin. But some will also like an elegant white Burgundy and a powerful yet sophisticated Brunello di Montalcino. It’s all a matter of tastes, budget and interest in learning more about this fascinating product.
Putting us in a box? Not such a good idea if you ask me. Let’s put an end to the prejudice and open our minds a bit more.

#wineandprejudice #mumslovewine #notonlypinotgrigio

Happy Mother’s Day!

[robert_mcintosh]

Ha! Yes, I’ve seen that book in a few places and was tempted but wasn’t sure if I’d be too torn between the amusing anecdotes and the unfortunate stereotyping (of wine, I mean ) to enjoy it.

Goodreads

Still not sure what to do for my wife, but there WILL be wine involved, possibly with bubbles! She’s definitely more of the White Burgundy drinker

[tom]

I would rip your face off for a glass of wine right now!

-My pregnant wife, most evenings recently.

I don’t suppose I’m being very supportive in that regard, but she does enjoy smelling them.

[robert_mcintosh]

I read that all through as being your own experience - only realised it wasn’t at the end. I did wonder at the change in ‘tone’

[laura]

reminding her to get his F****** LOTTERY TICKETS

This bit made me laugh out loud! I’m not even a parent and I want to buy this book…

-My pregnant wife, most evenings recently.

I don’t suppose I’m being very supportive in that regard, but she does enjoy smelling them.

My Mum missed her nightly G&T so much when she was pregnant with me that every day at 6pm she’d unscrew the gin bottle lid and give it a little sniff before forlornly replacing the lid.

Re: Marjorie’s blog (which I massively enjoyed), one thing that worries me is that as a result of this stereotypical/close-minded advertising any mums who actually want to get more into wine will feel it’s ‘not for them’ because they’ve been convinced all they’d like is pinot blush and cheap bubbles. I’ve seen it happen and it’s sometimes very hard to convince mums I know that they’re ‘smart’ or ‘good’ enough to learn more about wine or try bottles outside of their comfort zone.

[Bargainbob]

Yep, similar story for my wife at the moment. She’s allowed herself 4 small glasses throughout the whole pregnancy, so I’ve tried to treat her a bit - mature premier cru Burgundy, decent Margaux etc. I do feel for her though - red wine has been pretty much her only craving, and one that she can’t give in to!

[JayKay]

My 86 year old Mam likes G&Ts, the Society’s Fino sherry, all the Alsace wine she can lay her hands on, Sauvignon Blanc esp from NZ and Pinot Noir from anywhere. She also likes Bordeaux but only occasionally because she likes them mature and expensive!

[Leah]

OMG!! I used to do this… SMELL the wine , Large, deep inhalations that almost sucked the wine up my nostrils! After a few sniffs the overwhelming urge was satisfied! Was rather embarrassing however for the OH when I did it to random strangers in restaurants…oops!

[Leah]

Re: Marjorie’s blog (which I massively enjoyed), one thing that worries me is that as a result of this stereotypical/close-minded advertising any mums who actually want to get more into wine will feel it’s ‘not for them’ because they’ve been convinced all they’d like is pinot blush and cheap bubbles. I’ve seen it happen and it’s sometimes very hard to convince mums I know that they’re ‘smart’ or ‘good’ enough to learn more about wine or try bottles outside of their comfort zone.

My goodness @laura, if this was a topic on University Challenge, I would be an expert….! I get very passionate about this topic and the dumbing down of wine knowledge particularly to Mums. I have Mum friends who are very happy to come over and drink nice wine and enjoy learning about what they are drinking. They may not have the knowledge I do, but they are really interested to know why I am pairing a certain wine with a certain food and how this will enhance their culinary experience.

There is however the flip side of the coin and assumptions made about Mums wine drinking habits haven’t just been plucked out of the clouds.
There is truth in Mums drinking what we would consider, less than appealing dishwater.
For instance, every few months, a group of us “Mummy friends” will go out, book a half decent restaurant and have a night off and let our GHD’d hair down…
Invariably the waiter will come and ask what we’d like to drink without ever having provided or offered the wine list, as after all there is a house white and house red already listed on the specials board. Herein lies the first problem.
8 plus ladies out, and there is already an assumption made by the waiter . Now had I been there with just one other female or a male partner, I can almost guarantee you there would have been a menu handed over without even having to request one.
So, here we are, having attained the wine and drinks menu, the collective decide that yes, the cheapest Pinot Grigio will suffice, as after all, its Italian isn’t it? and we are in an Italian restaurant!
Obviously I refuse to drink such pish and opt for a far nicer Gavi di Gavi. But nobody wants to pay double the price of the dishwater so that is what’s ordered and I’m labelled a wine snob! (I’m not bothered, I’ll take that over having an underdeveloped palette ANY day), and as my wine is available only by the bottle, with everything else by the glass undrinkable, I opt for a Gin.
The ladies continue to drink their dishwater and order some more and then some. Why is this? Is it because they’re not interested in learning about wine? Maybe, maybe not.
They ARE busy Mums with kids and jobs and learning about wine is not on their “most important thing to do this week” list.
But why is that? Is it because they are marketed cheap pink shite and mass over produced wine lake products ? Yes ! Absolutely! Why would they forge an interest when all they’ve tasted is bottom end. Had they been marketed fine Burgundy, refined and balanced Alsace or a stunning Rutherglen muscat then they would really know what good wine tasted like .
But sadly a lot of Mums will stick to what they are marketed and don’t have the time, effort or energy to divulge further into this huge area of “wine”!
It most definitely IS time to change the messages these large supermarkets are giving. I don’t see them Marketing pink frizzante for fathers day do you?
It is also time for restaurants to stop automatically handing the male the wine menu too and speaking directly to him about the wine.
(Fortunately, my OH just hands me over the menu and when they come to pour “him” a taste he nods in my direction.)

I agree wholeheartedly with Marjorie’s blog and wish that women and especially Mums were given more of an opportunity to learn about wine and not talked down to about it. But unfortunately because of the way they are marketed at, that’s not going to change anytime soon until more women enter the trade changing these strategies . Its happening but slowly and it will take time.

[Leah]

I could never be as articulate… oh and would swear far more…

[Herbster]

I don’t see them Marketing pink frizzante for fathers day do you?

Nah, we just get marketed the grotty, bottom end, compost-heap claret instead!

Great post @Leah, spot on.

[tom]

I’ll just leave this here:

[Nowt_in_my_glass]

Nearly spat my coffee out haha

Tbf…dad’s just get ridiculous ales and beers pushed at them like “owld witch’s gusset” or some awfulness.

As part of the 35 year old man segment, I’m firmly in the target market for craft ale and boutique natural wines. In about 5 years i look forward to an avalanche of wine club leaflets filling my post box!

[laura]

Tbf…dad’s just get ridiculous ales and beers pushed at them like “owld witch’s gusset” or some awfulness.

So true. Stereotypical Father’s Day gifts are a real problem too. Although personally I can’t think of a better Father’s Day gift that membership to a certain drinks-related Society…

@Leah
I wholeheartedly agree with you. And I do think maybe the reluctance of mums to learn about wine is because they’ve had all the rubbish pushed on them and so naturally they’re not interested. But if we’re going to reverse this trend we need to stop patronising women by presuming they’ll buy a wine for a flowery label or because it’s pink and/or bubbly. How about…
‘Drink this wine and you’ll feel transported to the South of France’ (such as the Domaine Jones Grenache, as I discovered yesterday).
‘Treat yourself to this beautiful English sparkling wine (instead of cheap mass-produced supermarket fizz) to reward yourself for a job well done at the end of another week…’

I don’t know (can you tell I don’t have kids ) but there must be better ways to market good wines to mums who want to drink them. Any ideas?!

[JayKay]

I blame it on the parents😉! As a teenager our Sunday lunches and birthday meals would be accompanied by a wide variety of wines supplied by our parents. By the time I left home I had been happily introduced to Beaunes, clarets, chiantis (none in wicker baskets!), Alsaces, German whites, Italian whites etc. My preference for decent wine had already been established through a good education. As a student I availed myself of the parental largesse during holidays to keep the wine palette in good condition until I was in a position to buy my own wine. And bless him, my dear feminist OH always points to me when the sexist sommeliers ask Sir if he wants to taste the wine - which they often do even when it is I who chose the wine!

[Leah]

‘Drink this wine and you’ll feel transported to the South of France’ (such as the Domaine Jones Grenache, as I discovered yesterday).

‘Treat yourself to this beautiful English sparkling wine (instead of cheap mass-produced supermarket fizz) to reward yourself for a job well done at the end of another week…’

Totally Laura … this 100%! I now feel the need to carry a large sharpie in my handbag to correct the shop display signs for mass produced muck….!

By the time I left home I had been happily introduced to Beaunes, clarets, chiantis (none in wicker baskets!), Alsaces, German whites, Italian whites etc. My preference for decent wine had already been established through a good education.

Wonderful @JayKay, I have also been extremely lucky that my parents also had an interest in wine and introduced me to some fabulous regions and wines. So kudos to the parents.

I am sure it caused some soul searching

?? Not sure about that, but everyone is entitled to comment.

I will be seeking out a lovely bottle to reward myself for keeping my children alive and feed this Sunday… pics to follow

[Nowt_in_my_glass]

This can only end with you placard protesting at your local supermarket’s promo stand with terrified workers looking at your “WHITE ZIN DOES NOT DEFINE ME” signage.

[Leah]

Is that a challenge??

[Nowt_in_my_glass]

Is that a challenge??

It’s your destiny…! Well Tesco’s loss is TWS’s gain i guess! Maybe TWS needs to have a seperate purchase option for non members to ‘gift a member a bottle’ as my other half would be frankly terrified of buying me booze, especially from Morrison’s where she shops! (I’d be delighted at whatever she bought me btw haha)