A few months ago I wrote about Domaine Saladin’s red wines. Produced by two sisters, Marie-Laurence and Elisabeth, these biodynamic wines have been grown on their family’s estate continuously since 1422. The two reds we have at UG, the Loi and the Paul, are truly fantastic, the type of wines that people seek out and feel lucky to have found. We know we feel lucky that Elisabeth brought them to us this winter. 

As we stood there with Elisabeth, she weaved a web of intrigue around Domaine Saladin’s rosé wine – Tralala! She spoke so glowingly of it, she had a sold on story alone. She was visiting during a warm streak, one of the many we had, and TJ and I were dying for a sip of rosé. Unfortunately, their bottling was held up because the weather was so cold in France. They were ready, they just needed the temperatures to cooperate. 

Our shipment of Tralala may have been delayed, but it was oh so worth the wait. Made from Cinsault and Grenache Noir grapes, this is a saignée method rosé, meaning it has been bled off of a Domaine Saladin red wine. It’s always so shocking to me how different a rosé and the red wine that it is made from can taste. Particularly, grenache is not my personal favorite red varietal, but I love rosé made from grenache. 

The Tralala is bright and fresh tasting. It’s more of a full-bodied rosé but without being too red wine-ish. Its flavors are rich with tons of bright cranberry, strawberry and watermelon. It’s also high in acid, which wakes up your palate and gets you thirsting for more. We drank it the other night with our first burgers off the grill, homemade pickles from Morning Glory Farm, and a tasty Greek salad. It was an easy task to drain the bottle.

Tralala is a bottle that hits on all the important levels – it’s a fantastic wine with a compelling story that tastes of its place. I hope you’ll stop by and pick up a bottle while we still have some in stock! 

These past few months, blogging has been a struggle. All of the things that feed me creatively and inspire me to write have been missing. We’ve been too busy to cook, too tired to drink, too overwhelmed to do much of anything besides work. Also, it was tough to keep the news of the new store in the South End under wraps. Even though most of you know by now that we are opening a second store, we’re not ready to spill all the beans until our two-year anniversary party on June 11th, so there’s not even much I can share there at the moment. The process of opening a second store is in itself hugely creative and rewarding, but at the moment we’re in the soul-sucking phase. Permits, approvals – it’s hard to find blog inspiration in the trials and tribulations of SBA paperwork.

It’s hard to admit, but the least inspiring of all the hats I wear at the moment is motherhood. Cue the guilt – my kids are sort of a grind at the moment, cute as they may be. The end of school is coming and they are both bonkers. Noah, always a little prone to anxiety, is freaking out about Kindergarten and has turned into a sulky adolescent overnight. Foot-stomping, eye-rolling, door-slamming and endless tears (ENDLESS) make me wonder what, exactly, is going on inside that little body. He is disobeying at every turn, doesn’t respond when you say good morning, takes 20 minutes to put his shoes on, and is generally acting like the snottiest kid on earth.

Meanwhile, Jason, prone to temper tantrums, has discovered a backbone of steel that no one can bend. Today at school, he misbehaved at “fitness” and wasn’t given a treat out of the treasure box like the kids who did behave. He simultaneously had a temper tantrum, threw sand, screamed, and wet his pants all at the same time. That takes serious talent and conviction. The rest of his time is spent pushing his older brother’s buttons, resulting in – you got it – tears, eye-rolling, foot-stomping and door-slamming. It’s been pretty fun around here. 

It’s hard to admit it when you’re in a phase where your kids are driving you nuts. It’s even harder when the water cooler topic du jour is whether or not you’re “Mom Enough.” I came to grips long ago with the fact that I am, in fact, NOT mom enough. Not only am I not a SuperMom, some days I’m not even sure I am a super mom. Instead, I strive to be a “good enough mother.” Although this phrase sounds like you’re giving up, I find it freeing. It means there are some days when I break out the arts and crafts, and there are some days when I break out the remote control. It means that some days there are two vegetables on the dinner table. Some days there are french fries. Some days I count the tomato sauce on the pizza as a vegetable, just like the FDA. Some days they have clean pajamas on clean bodies. Many, many days, they are a little stinky when they go to bed. I count among one of my life’s greatest accomplishments the fact that I have managed to keep Jason’s frog lovey intact despite: it getting lost in the middle of Boston overnight, having endless amounts of dirt and food ground into it, and having its face burned off in a freak accident. I do not have a back-up frog lovey, but I have been meaning to get one for nearly three years now. 

To me, being a good enough mother means that you must stop and periodically thank the many people that are helping you fill in the blanks. I’d be sunk without the stay at home moms who routinely pick up the slack for me in every way. Daily, I wish I could be more of a stay at home mom and be the one to host the play dates. But for right now, I cherish the women who pick my kids up from school, give them snacks, and let them strew toys all over their houses. I appreciate that they send me texts reminding me to fill out permission slips or get birthday presents. I would literally be lost without them. 

I appreciate – so much appreciate – the pack of young women who have babysat for my kids, each one bringing their own unique spunk to my home. These girls have so much energy for my kids. Even though it kills me just a little, it gives me the greatest joy to hear them giggling together when they share a joke, or to see them from my office window as they scooter down the side walk. I know these women are enriching the lives of my children, and that is such a gift. 

I’m thankful to my family – my parents who stop by and read books, my mom who cooks for us when they’re in town, my sister-in-law who sends me recall notices that she knows I won’t see and acts, in every way, like a sister wife when our families are together. And my cousin, a great mom, who walked the aisles of Brimfield with me on Friday listening as I lamented, all the while making patient recommendations (“have you tried giving choices?”). I may have gotten the flowers and chocolates on Mother’s Day, but all these people need be thanked too – they help me to be a good enough mother.

These days, in the moments that haven’t been so inspiring, I’ve found some love and peace in the natural ebb and flow of being a family. My kids aren’t thrilling me or thrilled by me at the moment, but they’ve started appearing at 6 AM every morning, their arms filled with stuffed animals and their eyes still sleepy, to crawl silently into bed for a cuddle. Sometimes it’s for five minutes, sometimes it’s for thirty. It’s as much time as they need to reconnect and know that they are my world. 

So am I mom enough? Hell no. But am I good enough? I think I am, and I think every mom I know is too, despite the inadequacies we may feel at any given moment as we parent. 

Happy belated mother’s day to every mother I know or who reads this blog. Together, we’re good enough. 

**Guest blogger Jo-Ann Ross is going on a summer vacation to…where else but Languedoc? Jo-Ann will be at The Urban Grape on May 12 from 2-5 to sample Languedoc wines and teach us a little bit about the region.**

One of my lovely wine friends, who is the international marketing agent for a vineyard in La Clape, is moving out of her Gîte.  A Gîte is a specific type of fully furnished, self catering, holiday accomodation in France.  Gîtes are usually old farmworkers’ cottages or converted buildings or barns near the owners principal residence.  The Gîte in question is located on the vineyard overlooking the Mediterranean.  Jess is leaving the Gîte to get a taste of the more urban life in nearby Narbonne.  So, it will be free in early July.

I’m pretty consistent in knowing a good thing – like wine stores, movies, books, and summer vacations.  So – George, my excellent traveling companion and husband are off to Languedoc this summer to explore Gîte life on a vineyard!  Even though the marriage agreement reads  “For better or worse,” George is totally not into vineyard hopping and winery poking.  He does love hiking through beautiful scenery, exploring old castles, having long, leisurely lunches, eating French bread and cheese, and practicing his French fluency.

George adores the combination of Grenache and Syrah. That means I mustn’t go near Burgundy or Bordeaux.  No Pinot Noir  or Cabernet Sauvignon blends for him.  So – I’m in great shape serving him any Languedoc red wines.  He also enjoys VALUE.  When I bring home some of the Languedoc sparkling wines from the town of Limoux, I don’t know what he enjoys more – the flavor or the price.  The zingy Picpoul de Pinets and the vibrant rosés also put a little twinkle in his eye.

We just ordered our Lonely Planet Guide to Languedoc yesterday.  We also reserved a car in Montpellier.  So – when I do my tastings at Urban Grape over the next few weeks, I will greet each wine with the thought that I will soon be enjoying these delicious wines right from where they originate.  I can’t wait to show you photos after the trip.

Lately, our house seems to have been taken over by Hair Band Mania. Our children are in love with The Final Countdown by Europe and Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. Many nights, a dance party takes place to these songs. There’s a lot of interpretive dance, some fist pumping, some karate moves, and then a few signature moves for each boy. 

Noah reminds me a lot of the dancers in Madonna’s Jump video, and the guys that toured with her on the Confessions on a Dance Floor tour. No piece of furniture is safe, legs are flying everywhere, and I think he’s mere months away from perfecting a back flip off the side of a wall, a la Victor Lopez, one of Madonna’s dancers.

Jason is a straight out breakdancer. I don’t know how he learned it, he just does it innately. And he’s getting better and better. He loves spinning on his back, popping up and freezing. It’s hysterical. I vividly remember trying to breakdance with my cousin to Candy Girl by New Edition. I also remember TJ getting into a breakdancing competition at my friend Robin’s wedding and nearly severing a groin muscle, so perhaps he comes by this naturally. 

Given our passion for breakdancing, it’s only natural that I am pretty excited for the A.R.T.’s Wildstyle Dance Party on May 17th at the Oberon in Harvard Square. Beyond the fact that it’s just plain going to be a great dance party and that I plan on wearing my sequined gold heels, I’m pumped to see The Floorlords perform. The Floorlords are a b-boy dance crew that have been around in Boston for over 30 years. Our very own Mayor Menino even gave them an official day. You know they can reach a broad audience if Mayor Menino is a fan. Don’t believe me? Check out this video.

Even more important than the dance party, the free drinks from Privateer, the food from S&S Deli, the Floorlords, the graffiti artists, and all of the other unique things that will make this a party to remember, is the fact that this is a fundraiser for the A.R.T.  UG just signed on as the official wine provider for the upcoming season, and I’m on the committee for this event. This is an spectacular organization bringing award-winning productions to our town, and we’re thrilled to support them in any way possible. I hope you’ll join me and The Floorlords on the dance floor May 17th (maybe I’ll live out my breakdancing fantasies?!). Tickets are just $50 and can be purchased by clicking here. 

Today is the official start to our month-long Languedoc promotion at The Urban Grape. We are doing this in connection with L’Aventure Languedoc and many other restaurants and stores in the Greater Boston area. This is a fun way to get to know a wine-growing region in France that is often overlooked here in the states. But no more – this up and coming appellation is producing some of the most exciting wines in France, and often at prices that are much more affordable than the better known regions. And, on a personal note, some French wine gets a tad “barnyard” for me, a taste sensation I have yet to encounter in any of the Languedoc wines.

One of the issues that Languedoc is facing is that there are so many (over 20!) sub-appellations in the region. With names like Limoux, Minervois, Picpoul de Pinet, Corbiéres, Saint Chinian, and Faugéres it’s hard to keep the growing regions straight, much less keep track of the grapes that are grown in each region and the terroir characteristics. When we started learning about the Languedoc with the help of wine educator extraordinare JoAnn Ross, we thought we only carried about five Languedoc wines. In reality, we had over 16 on the shelves. So even for us the region is a little confusing. But, the more we learn, the more excited we’re getting about the wines. 

The Languedoc is sometimes called the “Wild West” of France. That’s because this is a varied region that is actively trying to better its winemaking capabilities while redefining, yet honoring, the area’s traditions. The region boasts a perfect combination of soil, wind and sun – all influenced by the Mediterranean Sea to make it one of the most perfect growing regions in France. 

Still confused about the Languedoc and what makes these wines so intriguing? Never fear…we will be making it easy for you to try Languedoc wines all month long. Look for Languedoc-focused blog posts, Tuesday Tweets and Spotlight wines, special tastings throughout the month, and an Urban Sampler dedicated to the very best of the Languedoc. Through it all, please let us know if you’re enjoying the wines. Our hope is that you will discover a passion for a new area – we know we have!