Are there wines that men and women prefer based on their gender? It’s an old conversation and one that frankly often annoys me. When people make wine for Moms, for women or suggest that rose is only for females, I feel peeved. Of course most people today disagree with these silly stereotypes. That said, there are wines which I would describe as being more feminine such as Chiroubles or Barbaresco, for example, rather than Morgon or Barolo which I think are more masculine wines from similar regions. My point here is that there may or may not be truth in these stereotypes. Where once I was certain, now I am unsure.

What has brought on this change of heart? Having children. What I absolutely was against, before I was a parent, was the idea that boys and girls played with different toys. I thought it was the parents who gave girls dolls and boys trucks. Now that I am a Mom to a wonderful three-year old boy, I have to say that Thomas the tank engine is my new best friend and I drink plenty of wines that could be considered mommy wines, including something called Flip Flop at the beach this summer in a large format. As my son turns three today, I am newly aware that you don’t know what you don’t know, until it hits you on the head.

Disclosure: My son has a doll named William, so named because of a fantastic 1970s song on the album Free to be You and Me.