A Toast to the Mama Sisterhood
By Trina Epp & Leah Speer
“Everyone Has Seen Or Touched My Boobs” and “Dropping Off My Baby at Daycare Broke My Heart” are among the nearly 80 personal stories (raw emotions included!) that intimately bring to life the trials, tribulations and celebrations of modern motherhood in this new book sure to become a baby shower classic: POUR ME SOME WHINE WINE: A Toast to the Mama Sisterhood(Changing Lives Press, December 2015, ISBM: 978-0-9904396-3-9) by Katrina Epp and Leah Speer.
With five kids and two states between them, Epp and Speer not only share stories for every kind of emotion a new mom might face (think: guilt, overwhelmed, worried and grateful); they have kicked it up a notch and achieved the never-before-possible–but quite probably always dreamed of: They have paired wines (nearly 80 of them) with all those emotions.
YES. You heard that right. They know the perfect cab that goes with the inevitable sadness in dropping your child off at school for the first time and the ideal floral, fruity Moscato to go with the giggles over the embarrassing incident at the pediatrician’s office.
BUT WAIT: If you think this is a book about getting sloshed, you’d be wrong. Epp and Speer are serious wine-loversand seriously loving moms who have combined their love and enthusiasm of both in this unique and fun way: They’re “mommoisseurs.” They also clearly address the importance of drinking responsibly (see p. 3), including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG) recommendation to abstain from drinking any alcohol while pregnant.
How did Epp and Speer come to be mommoisseurs? The authors went from being college-age gals drinking Boones Farm to ladies with jobs splurging on Francis Ford Coppola wines, from wine-tasting events to dinner parties then wine bars. Napa crept to the top of their vacation destinations, replacing Cancun. Then they started to pay attention to pairing wine with dinner. Soon they began to notice how wine paired with mood.
“We began to enjoy various whites and pairing them with happier more upbeat moods, especially the bubbly blends for celebrations, while we came to appreciate how soothing, almost healing, some reds can be after a long day,” said the authors. According to Sara d’Amato of WineAlign.com, they were right: “Pairing wine with a mood, feeling, or emotion can be just as satisfying as pairing it with a great dish.”
“Everything changed when we became mothers,” said the authors. “Nothing was more important than those tiny adorable human beings. But as the kids grew, we started to realize we needed a part of our old life back. We missed relishing a wonderful, relaxing glass of wine with girlfriends, trying out different flavors as we cooked, or simply taking the time to expand our knowledge of such a beautiful and wonderful thing.” Hence, POUR ME SOME WHINEWine was born.
So moms pay attention: “Whenever you need a pick-me-up, think about how you are feeling, turn to the chapter that describes it, and read a few of the stories,” said Epp and Speer. “It is by telling our stories that we moms nurture each other, leaning on one another for support and reassurance, knowing that none of us is perfect and we’re all in this crazy race together.” Then note the wine accompaniments for your own edification and enjoyment—to perhaps try at another, more appropriate time.
Here, check out a few of the pairs’ pairings from POUR ME SOME WHINE WINE:
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When You Are Feeling… |
Sample True Mom Story
Pairing |
Wine Accompaniment |
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…Annoyed By Other Grownups p.126 |
“Thank you for bringing your children to the pool and letting them take over.” | This summer, when your kids are living life to the fullest, join in on the fun with a glass of Woop Woop Shiraz. This deep-hued wine bursts with flavors reminiscent of childhood including blueberry jam and licorice. Drink in this full-bodied and flavorsome red and don’t give a hoot what other people think. |
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…Celebratory p. 181 |
“Oh, that smile! It was worth feeling like a stalker for having followed my daughter’s bus to school.” | When it’s time to give our babies the freedom to grow, it’s also time for us to celebrate the end of an era and the beginning of a new one with Liberty Vineyards Marquette. Rich in color with a silky finish, this wine will offer a nose of nice spice and cherry notes and a palate that’s a big hug of chocolate-covered cherries. |
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…Guilty p. 13 |
“My son can’t go to preschool because it costs the same as half our mortgage per month.” | Keep things light with a Be. Bright Pinot Grigio. The defined floral notes and bits of citrus add vibrancy to this nice, light golden wine. It’s crisp and fresh on the palate as the pear dominates with hints of peach—an instant taste of optimism. |
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…Grateful p. 166 |
“My kids napped today—victory!” |
Ahhh, when the little ones go down so easily for their naps, instinctively you want to reach for your bottle of Happy Camper Merlot. Then you remember it’s early afternoon and there’s still a long list of chores to complete. So until tonight, your taste buds will have to wait for the smooth taste of blackberry, plum and spice. |
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…Overwhelmed p. 50 |
“But nobody mentioned that it would take me more than an hour just to prepare for as mundane a task as simply going to the grocery store.” | Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc is inspired by the myriad, incontrollable forces of nature that must fall into place in order to make great wine. Thus, it is a perfect match for when we are contemplating the infinite, unpredictable moments of parenthood that challenge us to be great mothers. Hopefully, the harmony of the peach, grapefruit, lime, melon and fresh-cut grass characteristics of this Sauvignon Blanc will lend a little harmony to your life after a hectic day. |
ON-SALE DECEMBER 2015/ISBN: 978-0-9904396-3-9/Softcover/$19.99
About the Authors
Katrina (Trina) Epp is the mother of Callie, 8 and Clay, 5, and a commercial lines insurance agent. Also a writer and blogger, she has been published in parenting and family publications. She lives in western Colorado with her children and her adorable dog, Cocoa.
Leah Speer is a parenting blogger at BabyCenter, the pregnancy and parenting web destination, and the mother of three sons (Luke, Zealand and Jack), all under seven. A longtime writer, she has been published in various publications on families and parenting. She resides in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with her children, husband, and faithful dog, Yukon.
For more information, go to Mommoisseurs.###
