The best wines to celebrate Mother's Day | Alistair Gibson

English sparkling wine needs little introduction anymore and Co-op Irresistible Eight Acres Sparkling Rosé, England (Co-op £18) is a very classy bottle of fizz at this price. Made for the Co-op by Hush Heath Estate in Kent, this is a blend of the classic Champagne grape varieties, chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. It is very pale in colour with a fine mousse, there are summer red fruits and a touch of lemon sherbet on the nose, followed on the palate by more red fruits, a twist of citrus and a bright, fresh finish. It makes a lovely aperitif and if you planning some early spring picnics this would be the perfect wine to serve.

Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc Private Bin 2020, Marlborough (Tesco £7.50 on offer £9.50 until March 29, also available from, Asda, Waitrose and Morrisons) is the latest vintage of this ever crowd-pleasing wine. It is textbook Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with passion fruit, citrus and gooseberries leaping out of the glass, followed by more tropical fruits, lime and zesty, mouth-watering acidity. Pair with a crab salad or some simply grilled fish.

I retasted Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc 2019 Vidal Fleury (Majestic £11.99 or £9.99 if part of a mixed six) and was reminded what a delicious spring wine this would make and makes a nice alternative to New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Made predominantly from Viognier, this offers some ripe nectarine and apricot and orchard blossom on the nose, followed by a nicely textured palate with more apricot fruit and fresh acidity before a very satisfying finish. You could happily serve this with a roast chicken or maybe a roasted butternut squash.

Chile is not perhaps so well known for syrah but more recent planting in cooler vineyard areas are producing some really interesting wines that deserve to be taken a little more seriously. Leyda Reserva Syrah 2019, Valle de Leyda (Co-op £10 – on offer £9.25 until March 16, and then March 17 until April 6, £8). Produced from a vineyard just two-and-a-half miles from the cooling Pacific Ocean, it has seen a little older French oak but this is really all about freshness and purity of fruit. The nose is very expressive with blueberries, raspberries, violets and a little spice, the palate is very supple with soft tannins, more dark berry fruits and some crunchy acidity. This is not going to break the bank even when not on offer and is a very food friendly, fresh style syrah to serve with a roast leg of lamb on Mother’s Day or Easter Sunday.