This week, I logged onto my Facebook and Twitter accounts and asked YOU about your wine preferences. Here's what happened:

The Tweet:

"quick survey dudes - red or white? RT to select red. Favorite for white. Reply "or" for neither, and tell me what you think! #wine #survey"

The Results:

• Red (52%)
• White (30%)
• Both! (18%)

The Commentary:

• "summer = white, winter = red"
• depends on my mood ...and my food.
• white and sweet
• red and dry

So! Looks like my fans like mostly red, sometimes sweet, seasonally appropriate wine... I'm partial to red myself. Do you agree?

Musicians and songwriters spend most of their creative energy writing about love and heartbreak - but they write a lot about wine too! Here's a list of my sisters' favorite tunes to hum along to while opening up a new bottle. Sometimes we play this iTunes Playlist all the way through and use it as a soundtrack to our wine tastings. Give it a try!

• Elderbury Wine, by Elton John 
• Wine, Women and Song, by Harvey Danger
• A Bottle of Wine and Patsy Cline, by Anne Kirkpatrick
• Red, Red Wine, by UB40
• Hey Brother, Pour The Wine, by Dean Martin
• A Little More Wine, by Savoy Brown
• Spill The Wine, by War & Eric Burdon
• Days of Wine and Roses, Henry Mancini
• Champagne Supernova, by Oasis
• Gimme That Wine, by Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross
• Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee, by Jerry Lee Lewis
• Strawberry Wine, by The Band
• Rosé, by The Feeling
• Good Friend and A Glass of Wine, by LeAnn Rimes

Every mom is different - just like every woman, daughter, and SISTER is different! This year we want to celebrate Mother's Day by embracing our mommies' unique personalities. Is she more of a Forever Cool kinda gal, or is she a Goodie Two Shoes? Either way, we've got just the gift to remind her that those things that make her different are also what make her a fantastic woman and a great mom! 

Rebel Red 

What to get the woman with extreme tastes? Rebel Red may never change her staple red platform shoes, so clearly that's out of the question. Actually, Reb's got a pretty strong opinion on most things - so how do you get her a gift that's both unexpected and ingenious? Go for an experience! Experiences are a great way for your mom to let loose and have fun! Rebel Red recommend SaLsA LeSsOnS - they don't break the bank, and will teach your mom a fun skill she can enjoy forever. 

Wicked White

Wicked White is probably the most "chill" sister we know. She goes with the flow, doesn't sweat the small stuff, and loves looking cool. So the obvious choice here are some awesome shades! Get her a bunch of not-too-expensive sunglasses  and a lightweight case so your Mom can shield herself from the sun and maintain her air of "awesome" wherever she goes.

Smarty Pants 

Your mom is the Smarty Pants of the family - but not in the usual sense. She majored in art history and spent her 20s traveling the world. It takes quite a bit to impress this cultured Mama, but these fun photography tools from Photojojo might just spark her creativity and make her say, "Now that's something I haven't seen before!" Mission accomplished.

Mischief Maker

Moms can be mischief makers too! If your mom is always ready with a story about her wild youth, has a secret tattoo on her upper arm, and has better music taste than you, she's probably got a few more secrets up her sleeve. Mother's Day is the perfect opportunity to enjoy your mom's love of fun, so why not take the opportunity to have a girl's day together! Go for Mani/Pedis and gossip about the latest celebrity snafu. Then, later in the evening, open up a bottle of wine and listen to a mix tape of her favorite tunes together. She might even reveal hear a tale or two you never expected!

Forever Cool

If your mama loves to recycle, reuse, and renew the Earth, then she might just love these tools you can use to repurpose wine bottles into gorgeous works of art! Glass is a beautiful medium, and old bottles make excellent drinking glasses, candle holders, wind chimes, and even planters. Show your mom you support her love of recycling with a DIY set that'll make her happy all year.

Drama Queen

Some women collect shoes. Some go for handbags. But others, like Drama Queen, collect shoes, handbags, belts, dresses, and just about anything else a person can wear. So for the mom who has 2+ closets dedicated to her wardrobe, the perfect gift is the one she can wear with anything - and that gift, my friends, is a scarf. Scarves are the perfect addition to an evening ensemble, they keep you warm on cold spring nights, and they add a certain sophistication to any outfit.

Sweetie Pie

Recipe books seem like the obvious choice here - but doesn't your mom already know how to make just about EVERYTHING? She's the best cook you know, so rather than give her a book full of stuff she's already mastered, why not make her overall kitchen experience more pleasant and fun? These kitchen goodies will make your Mom smile - and maybe go whip up a batch of cookies to say thank you.

                                                                                                 Surfer Chick

Okay this one is obvious right? If your mom wears flip flops all year round, it's probably a good bet that she wants to spend her Mother's Day as close to the water as possible. Help her turn her day into a success by filling a beach bag with everything she needs to spend the day at the beach. Sunscreen, a towel, flip flops, sunglasses, a floppy hat - go nuts! The more little goodies you pack the bigger her smile will be.

Sweet & Sassy

If your mom is the most tech-savvy chick you know - if she knows the latest operating system functions or can use a smart phone better than you - she's probably just like Sweet & Sassy. Which means the best gift for her this Mother's Day is a gadget that makes her fingers stop texting and her heart go a-flutter. The latest trend in touch technology is to make our smart screens as sleek and interactive as possible, and to a lot of people, that means writing and drawing. With a pen. Okay, not a pen, but a pretty great stylus that lets you hand write and doodle to your heart's content. Your techie mom is sure to have a blast.

Goodie Two Shoes

Maybe your mom is more of a traditional mommy. She likes being the head of the household, always dresses like she's off to tea somewhere, and can often be found sitting in "her chair" reading a book. This mom doesn't want any crazy experience or outing on Mother's Day - she wants to relax and take pleasure in knowing her efforts are not going unnoticed. For a Goodie Two Shoes, it's best to go traditional: flowers, breakfast in bed, and maybe even a tea party. She'll love that someone else is handling the details so she can relax and vacation from "Mommy"  for the day.

 Help A Sister Out: Giving Back to Causes Women Care About

This spring, Middle Sister is proud to partner with food banks across the country to help our sisters and their families. Middle Sister’s Help A Sister Out Campaign has pledged to donate a minimum of $15,000 to food bank charities nationally — and you can help. 

Hunger shouldn't be a women’s issue, but more women and children go hungry than any other demographic group in the United States. 

• More than 1-in-3 single mothers struggle to feed their children.
• More than 1-in-7 families report at least one family member who doesn’t get enough to eat on a regular basis.
• 17 million children live in households that experience regular food shortages.
• More than 1 million children regularly go to bed hungry in the US.

Government reports show a startling increase in the number of families struggling to put food on the table. We think about dropping a few cans into the donation barrels during the holidays, but it’s a daily reality for far too many. Food banks are a lifeline for more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors.

Support Help A Sister Out: Sign Up And Win!
For every new newsletter sign-up this May and June, Middle Sister Wines will donate an additional $1 to food banks around the country. Plus, by being a subscriber to our newsletter, you’ll automatically be entered into several drawings throughout 2012 to win some seriously fabulous prizes, including this Kate Spade Handbag and a trip to the 2nd Annual Wine Sisterhood Gathering in 2013!

SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Get Your Girlfriends Involved And Have Some Fun!
Turn your next girlfriend gathering into a food donation drive to “help a sister out.” Enjoy a glass or two of Middle Sister wine, a laugh with your friends – and support a worthy cause by helping women put food on the table for their families. Here’s how:

• Find your local food bank.
• Let them know you’re planning to gather donations. Be sure to ask if the food bank has any specific needs at that time.
• Pick a date and send invitations to your favorite gal pals! Let them know you’re having a fun get together with a purpose!
• Ask each guest to bring food to donate, and provide a list of foods that are acceptable or unacceptable for donation.
• Stock up on your Middle Sister Wines to share with your guests!
• Make sure you provide food for your guests too! No one should go hungry - especially at a party!

Here are some party ideas to make celebrating a good cause even more fun, compliments of Middle Sister and the brilliant women of The Wine Sisterhood:

• Turn Your Book Club into an Intellectual Cocktail Party
• Celebrate Summer with a Middle Sister Sangria Bar

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