Best Wines To Gift The Mary Altar
One of the most common questions I am asked by parishioners is what to gift the Mary Altar. My recommendations, of course, vary depending on the occasion and the message you wish to send to our holy mother. What one might gift for a wedding mass is very different than gifts for the Holy Days of Obligation, like the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. God knows that’s a hard holiday to navigate! I try to imagine what might ease Joseph’s humiliation on that day. I’m thinking a good single malt Scottish whisky might just do the trick.
Then there are all the other Sundays between, where attendance at mass is way down and the coffers are pretty depleted. While Mary surely appreciates a bit of cash (I mean, who doesn’t), this money does not end up in the pockets of your devoted clerics and therefore has little impact on the well-being of your local parish. Wine, on the other hand, cannot be deposited in the church’s tax-exempt bank account. It goes right into the gift cupboard in the chancel. And one may ask whether this wine can then be used for communion. The short answer: “no, it cannot.” This is because communion wine must follow a litany of guidelines set out by his holiness, the pope. Using “innovative” West Coast varietals is a minefield. If anything is added besides grapes, strike one. If the alcohol content is higher than 18%, strike two. Etc. As Pope Francis would affirm, if you’re taking communion, you need to know what you’re drinking is truly the blood of Christ. Catch my drift? We’ll be sticking with the O-Neh-Da Authentic Sacramental Wine for our services, which we find pairs beautifully with the traditional communion wafers and that fantastic, locally-sourced sourdough pumpernickel we use on the high holy days.
Back to the gifts for Mary… Yes, wine is GREAT for gifting the Mary Altar. In choosing the right wine, I try to think like a good son, “What would my mother enjoy with her favorite fill-in-the-blank food?” This thought process will help you in deciding which of our recommended varietals fit the bill:
2016 BOUCHAINE GEE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR
A most balanced and approachable wine whose grapes are dry-farmed on the Sonoma Coast within walking distance of our parish. The 2016’s vintage exhibits gentle minerality and dark berry notes, making it ideal with the dry-rub marinated pork tenderloin and roasted root vegetables we enjoy at the vicarage.
This barrel fermented sauvignon blanc enjoys a complexity not found in steel tank produced whites, yet it maintains a trendy freshness. Robust citrus and tropical fruit notes from Papua New Guinea and Southern California mingle with sémillon (i.e. cannot be used for communion). Pairs beautifully with our wild-caught Alaskan Halibut and King Crab in crème fraiche with micro-herbs from the rectory garden.
2005 PRAGER COLHEITA TAWNY PORT
Produced by our dear friends in neighboring Napa Valley and made from Petite Syrah grapes, this port boasts aromas of cedar, vanilla, and dried brandied orange rind. Long term barreling ensures a rich creamy texture. This port pairs beautifully with Mary’s go-to for hand-dipped chocolates and truffles: WOODHOUSE CHOCOLATE. Chocolates are made quasi-locally by parishioners from the St. Helena Catholic Church.
And no worries! We will keep you abreast of the seasonal variations on Mary Altar wine gifts so they continue to pair well with the rectory menu 😊
As much as we would love to invite Arthur to join us for dinner in the rectory, he seems satisfied with deli sandwiches from the 7-Eleven, not to mention his "scent" affects our enjoyment of the fine wines we receive from our parishioners
Next week we’ll discuss other issues of importance to our parish, namely how our community is going to feed the growing homeless population camped out in the parish cemetery and nutritional concerns for the congregation’s pregnant teens, most of whom are on food stamps. Stay tuned!