My mom would have turned 84 this May, so to remember her, we joined with one of my sisters, her husband and a niece to enjoy dinner at one of Mom’s favourite restaurants, toast her and laugh over some great memories.

The first wine we opened was brought to me recently by an old friend whom I’d met while backpacking in Indonesia back in 1990. This German Pinot Blanc is masterful – the colour of straw with glints of green – it has gorgeous fresh aromas and flavours of white flowers and early summer honeysuckle, white grapefruit, apricot, lemon and lime. Its acidity is mouth watering, its minerality uplifting and its freshness and fruit superb.

Our second bottle in mom’s honour was a super stunning mostly Merlot (80) with Cabernet Franc (12) and Cabernet Sauvignon (8) from Bordeaux’s Right Bank. An absolute powerhouse of a wine, this is the epitome of what is meant when Merlot-based wines are said to offer gorgeous, plush mouthfeel and sultry tannins.

This deep garnet wine is outstanding in terms of its flavours and aromas which show delicious intensity at every turn; iris and violet, blue and black berries, the deepest purple plum, and cinnamon, clove and nutmeg riding on a soft leather saddle. The velvety tannins melt in your mouth, and the finish is long and developed. I bought this wine in 2009, so was thrilled to open it after 17 years of careful storage.

Eighty-four years of age, a 36 year old friendship, a 17 year old wine and innumerable memories – all in honour of one mom.