Cheryl Murphy-Durzy, the “Mommy” behind Mommy Juice Wines, is an old college friend and sorority sister, but I can honestly tell you I wrote this review without any bias, at all. Thanks to Facebook — the new place to reconnect with old friends — a mutual friend suggested I “like” the Mommy Juice Wines Facebook page. The name of the wine caught my attention. When my son was born 6 years ago, my girlfriends and I used to joke about our wine being our “juice”, which apparently, was the same reason Cheryl named the label, Mommy Juice Wines. “Out of curiosity, my kids would point to my glass and ask to have some {wine} (because kids ALWAYS want what Mommy has!). I would say ‘no, this is Mommy’s Juice.’ After awhile they started calling all wine in wine glasses “Mommy’s Juice.” The name stuck.
After dabbling in public relations for high-tech companies in Northern California, Cheryl decided the industry wasn’t really for her. She left with aspirations to follow her passion for wine. Her parents had a small winery, Clos LaChance, they were looking to expand. After a little negotiating and lots of persuading, she convinced them to hire her on to help them with that growth. Twelve years, several prominent wine certificates and two kids later, Cheryl started the “side project” of Mommy Juice Wines…mom’s can connect, unwind and share stories of motherhood over a good glass of wine.
Cheryl has created a social networking community using the Mommy Juice Wines Facebook page, for moms to share their stories and advice, and where she can get real with them about her own trials and tribulations as a mother. She created Whine Wednesdays as an opportunity for moms to share their reason as to why they need Mommy Juice Wines. The mom whose story receives the most “likes” wins a bottle of Mommy Juice Wines. I joined the community and Cheryl sent me a bottle of red and a bottle of white to review.
Being a mom of four (a 6 year old son, 4 year old daughter and newborn twin boys), it doesn’t really take much for me to have a “Mommy Juice Wine Moment”. My husband is gone, like all the time, and occasionally I have a nanny to help me carry the load. The rest is accomplished by my Rock Star Status…and a little help from my friends, Yoga, Running and Vino. I had decided to be brave and take my kids for a walk around the block with their new bikes Santa had brought them. I bundled up the twins in their fancy stroller, got coats on my other two kids, and off we went for our trip around the block. Can you believe for a minute I even considered taking the dog with me? We were gone for 10 minutes and it seemed like an hour. I instructed everyone to get back in the house immediately as Amateur Night had come to an end . Frustrated, I threw my coat on the table and eyed the Mommy Juice Wines, grabbed a wine glass and uncorked the red. As I took my first sip, I wondered how many “likes” I would get for my story on Whine Wednesday.
Though I find the label to be attractive and catchy, I was not sure how the wine itself was going to taste. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. The red is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Not knowing this at first, my initial reaction was that it had the same attributes as a good, solid glass of Cabernet…very smooth, yet bold and mildly fragrant. Not only would I buy this wine for myself and not fear a “cheap wine hangover”, but I would confidently bring this wine to a playdate, girls’ night out (or GNO as Cheryl has coined it) or give it as a gift. And the price point is perfect at $10 a bottle.
I was invited to a dinner party where I knew other mommies who would appreciate this wine would be. Fun bottles, fun labels, fun people…the perfect Mommy Juice Wine moment! So, I brought what was left of my bottle of red and the bottle of white Mommy Juice Wines to see if these mommies’ would have the same reaction as I did. I asked them by just looking at the label, before they tasted the wine, why they would buy the wine. They said the obvious, “parties, gifts, baby showers, new mommy gift, etc.” After they tried their first sip, they admitted they would happily buy it for themselves. The white wine drinkers were satisfied with their selection as well. One hundred percent Chardonnay, this bottle boasts of “Aromas of tropical fruit salad—pineapples, guava and bananas. Hints of lemon grass and citrus rind as well. Kiwi, lime and a hit of grassiness round out this very fruit forward Chardonnay.” I found it to be crisp and fruity, with a hint of sweetness, without the syrupy, oaky aftertaste I find many Chardonnay’s to have. Both the red and white wines have a 13.5% alcohol content. Just as Cheryl imagined, we all sat around sipping our wine, relaxed and chatty while the kids ran amuck in the background.
Trying to enjoy a glass of Mommy Juice at my dinner party! |
I love when cool products have a place for people to connect to share their experience with others in their own little community. I think you’ll enjoy not only what’s inside the bottle, but the concept and camaraderie Mommy Juice Wines knows you deserve. Cheryl’s BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) for Mommy Juice Wines is to have national distribution with Target stores. Right now you can find Mommy Juice Wines at select Target stores in Northern California. Coming soon are N
orth Carolina, Georgia, and Alberta, Canada.
You can also buy Mommy Juice Wines online and for a limited time, her “When I Whine, Mommy Wines” onesies are available with a bottle of wine for $19.99. As a thank you to 2 Hot Blogger + a Bottle of Wine readers you can use the code 2HOTBLOGS at checkout for 10% off your purchase!
Also, we are giving away a bottle of Mommy Juice Wines, your choice of red or white, to one lucky reader!
THE RULES:
For this contest, there is one official entry and two bonus entries available. The deadline to enter is January 28, 2011 at 11:59pm PT. We will use random.org to draw the winner and post the results/notify winner via email, so we MUST have a way to get in touch with you! If the notified winner has not responded within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen. The contest is open to US entrants only.
OFFICIAL ENTRY:
You MUST leave a comment below telling us about a “Mommy Juice Moment” you (or your wife) have had.
BONUS ENTRY #1: Follow @MommyJuiceWines and tweet “Enter to win bottle of @MommyJuiceWines from @2HotBloggers:
BONUS ENTRY #2: “Like” the Mommy Juice Wines page on Facebook and share this giveaway on your profile. Then come back here and leave us another comment letting us know you shared it.