
Gretchen Roberts has passed the introductory course at the Court of Master Sommeliers and is studying for her sommelier certification this fall.
Attention doting husbands and children: Mother's Day is right around the corner. As the mom of two small children whose energy levels are inversely proportionate to their ages, I'm here to speak up for mothers of the world and give you a hint about proper Mother's Day celebratory etiquette.
It's simple, really. We want to observe Mother's Day by shirking our motherly duties and being bona fide adults.
Preferably with our feet up and a cocktail in hand.
This brings me to some easy sparkling wine recipes, in case you're planning to whip up a nice brunch for your lovely wife or mother. For mix-in drinks, don't bother spending megabucks on real Champagne; go with an inexpensive Prosecco from Italy (such as Fantinel) or Cava from Spain (Friexenet and Segura Viudas are good bets).
Three basic but beloved Mom-friendly elixirs after the jump.
Effortless: The Mimosa
Splash orange juice and sparkling wine into mom's Champagne flute. Refill as instructed.
Almost Effortless: The Bellini
An easy version is to sub peach juice for OJ. As above, refill as needed.
Not so Effortless but Totally Great: The Strawberry Bellini
Purée fresh strawberries in the blender, strain and mix with sparkling wine in a Champagne flute. Float a small fresh strawberry on top or cut a little slice into one and perch it on the rim of the glass.
Voila! Mom looks happy, doesn't she?
Got a killer brunch drink recipe -- for moms or the rest of us? Hit the comments to brag.

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5-04-2009 @8:43PM Gretchen said... Ooh, in my neck of the woods I can cheat on the strawberry bellini by buying strawberry nectar from the Spanish food aisles!
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