Wines of the week: 10 high street bottles for Mother's day 2018

However you toast the finest lady in the house this Sunday, Terry Kirby has wines to suit all palates and budgets

It’s Mothers Day and a family meal is planned…but argh, the wine rack is empty. So, what wines can we seek out in our high streets today to honour the most important person in the home….

If you want to kick off with a sparkling wine, there is obviously a multitude of choices out there, with lots of very good Mother’s Day timed discounts on well known names, such as the very traditional and appropriately named G.H.Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut, (£26; normally £35 but raises to £37 from 20 March; Waitrose.com) but if you are looking for something a bit different, try this new limited release, own label English sparkling Parcel Series English Fizz (£29.99 or £22.48 as part of mixed six bottle purchase Majestic.co.uk) from an undisclosed vineyard and bottled by Hambledon, one of the best English producers: enlivening and mouthfilling. If it’s a good prosecco you want to accompany a brunch, with or without orange juice, then Sainsbury’s has just launched its own label organic version So Organic Prosecco (£10 Sainburys.co.uk) which is well worth checking out: very dry, typical flavours of pears and white peaches and a full body. For those of your who simply must have something pink, the Co-op now have a rosé version of their best selling and multi-award winning range, the red berry fruit packed Les Pionniers Rose NV Champagne (£21.99 Co-op stores) developed for them by the Piper Heidsieck brand. Both of these sparklers are terrific value.

Next up, a good white: while in Sainsbury’s, you could try the McGuigan Shortlist Chardonnay 2016, (£14 Sainburys.co.uk) a traditional Aussie chardonnay from a brand that is normally associated with the more budget end of the market but demonstrates it can do well made, more serious wines as well: lots of vanilla and toast flavours, but not overoaked, with plenty of fresh citrus flavours coming through; fine for white or smoked fish, oysters and great with roast pork. If you want something a bit fresher and fragrant but with a slightly saline, tangy finish that will also partner well with fish and shellfish, try the Tres Mares Albarino 2016 (£7.99, normally £9.99 until March 20 Waitrose.com) from Spain’s wet and green north-west.

Now for a red: if you want a medium bodied, but still toothsome red, try the juicy, red berry fruit flavoured Stepp Pinot Noir 2015 (£15 Marksandspencer.com) from Germany’s Pfalz region which would match roast chicken, duck or vegetarian foods very well. Still in M&S, if you a looking for something a good deal weightier for beef or lamb, try the exceptional Amarone della Valpolicella Villalta 2014 (£26 Marksandspencer.com) full bodied, smoothly elegant and packed with ripe fruit flavours deriving from the semi-dried corvina grapes that linger long on the palate. Also rich and full bodied, but somewhat more rustic and peppery is the Domaine de la Combe Dieu Rasteau 2016 (£9 normally £12, until March 26; Tesco.com made from a typical Rhone valley combination of grenache, syrah, mourvedre and cinsault and the pick of a generally good quality new range of Tesco French wines under the Domaines Et Chateaux brand. Remember to save some for the cheese.

Finally, there has to be a pudding, doesn’t there? Whatever type of pudding you are having, by far the best accompaniment is a small glass of luscious, lingering dessert wine, such as Hungary’s finest wine, the Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos 2013 (50cl £24 or £21.60 as part of mixed six bottle purchase; Majestic.co.uk) Not overly sweet or cloying, shot through with fresh acidity which tingles on the palate, the subtle dried fruit flavours will last and last. Not cheap of course, but, hey, she’s worth it…