Gray Monk is B.C.'s most northerly commercial winery, but they source their Pinot Noir grapes from growers throughout the Okanagan Valley. This is a delicate, medium-bodied, dry wine with red berry and floral aromas. Go west completely and serve it lightly chilled with planked Pacific salmon.

A round and elegant Pinot with aromas suggesting vanilla, black cherry, cedar and underbrush. A ready-to-drink Pinot Noir that will match everything from grilled salmon to stuffed veal tenderloin.

Ever since Tinhorn Creek's 1998 Merlot won Red Wine of [the] Year at the Canadian Wine Awards, this variety has been [winemaker Sandra] Oldfield's signature wine, garnering medals in every competition in which it has been entered ... This winery is one of the best-run operations ... and you won't find better red wines in the province. (Tony Aspler, The Wine Atlas of Canada, 2006)

530725    (XD)            750 mL    $19.95     

Clos du Bois has teamed up with the estate of the late Jerry Garcia, leader of the Grateful Dead, to produce a series of limited-edition wines featuring Garcia's striking artwork. The wine has a creamy texture and bright fruit flavours of apple, pineapple and other tropical fruit as well as superb balance.

Our Quality Assurance laboratory has determined that this wine contains 17 mg/l of free sulphur.

There's no need to wait for a full moon: this ready-to-drink Zinfandel can help satisfy your carnivorous desires tonight. This juicy, full-bodied Zin has a sweet blackberry core and would be terrific with grilled lamb chops or smoky meats hot off an early spring barbecue.

MacMurray Ranch takes its name from Hollywood actor Fred MacMurray (1908-1991) who purchased the property in 1941. For MacMurray, best known as the genial, pipe-smoking father on the television series My Three Sons, it was a place where he and his family could get away from the fast lane and do some fly-fishing. After he died, the property was sold to the Gallo winemaking family and it has since become famous for growing high quality Pinot Noir like this one. In a move that would make any dad proud, the Gallo family hired MacMurray's daughter, Kate, as spokesperson for the ranch.

Trained as a veterinarian, Kent Rosenblum was an amateur winemaker who followed his dream to found and build Rosenblum Cellars into one of California's benchmark Zinfandel producers. Three decades later, he is still CEO and director of winemaking at Rosenblum. This rich, fruit-driven Zin from his appellation series has layers of blackberry, raspberry and currant fruit as well as hints of spice and vanilla. Enjoy with blackened salmon or baby back ribs.

Sebastiani has a reputation for creating well-priced, well-crafted wines, such as this Cabernet Sauvignon. Though the label says Cabernet Sauvignon (84.2%), it's more like a Meritage blend using small amounts or Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Petite Sirah. It shows aromas of black cherry, cassis, cocoa, vanilla and toasty oak. There are plenty of dark berry flavours, but the wine is not simply fruit-driven as it is balanced by layers of ripe tannins and acids. A great wine to match with a rare steak and mushrooms.

You can't help but respect a guy named Joe who is honest enough to dub his winery - Wine by Joe. He's obviously no ordinary Joe. Joe Dobbes, born in the Willamette Valley, has worked in the wine industry for over twenty years, training in Germany's Nahe region as well as Burgundy. He is a passionate advocate for Oregon wines and is obsessed with Pinot in all its hues: Gris, Blanc, and Noir. This is a stunning example of the latter but we don't want to get too earnest about it. After all, Joe describes his creations as 'serious wine for the unserious'. Know what he means? Sure you do.

Cot is a French synonym for the Malbec grape. Chileans prefer to use the name Cot in order to distinguish themselves from their Argentine neighbours, who are renowned for their Malbecs. This elegant and expressive wine balances blackberry fruit with spicy oak and vanilla flavours. Match it to grilled steak or lamb.

In the Quarterly Review of Wines (Autumn 2005), Rosemary George MW singled out Pérez Cruz as one of the best cutting-edge producers delivering top quality wines in Chile. This Carmenère will draw you in with its lovely red berry aromas and notes of mocha and spice. A great complement to lamb or veal, or an exquisite pairing with Gruyère cheese.

This Merlot is blended with small amounts of Carmenère and Cab Sauv and is bursting with ripe red fruit, damson plum and dark chocolate aromas and flavours. It's dry, full-bodied and very smooth and has a medium finish. Always an exceptional value, serve this supple wine with roasted duck or veal chops.

Viña Tarapacá's winemaker, Sergio Correa, has some interesting French connections. He was trained in the Médoc and was recently awarded a knighthood by the French Government's Order of Agricultural Merit. He is respected as a leader and motivator in the Chilean wine industry. This Carmenère offers notes of pepper, coffee, chocolate and vanilla. Warm up the coldest of March days with this well-balanced, spicy bottle of South American sizzle and sunshine.

A Silver Medal winner at the 2006 International Wine and Spirits competition, this wine exhibits lots of cherry, mint and fresh herb aromas with hints of licorice and dark chocolate. This flavourful wine is drinking well now and will complement a grilled lamb dish.

In 1990, twenty-five years after emigrating to Australia from Italy with his parents, Claudio Curtis founded the Tiers Wine Company. Clarence Hill is one of three premium wines that Tiers produces. This Chardonnay displays lovely melon, peach, vanilla and toasty oak aromas. It's dry, medium full-bodied with bright fruit flavours and measured oak notes leading to a lingering finish. Enjoy with apricot-glazed pork loin.

Hanenhof is principally a line of wines Haan Winery produces for the international market.

Ratbag is Aussie slang for a rogue, a cunning person, a non-conformist - in short, a character. Quite a character himself, winemaker Hugh Hamilton lets his vineyards speak for themselves and tries to interfere as little as possible with the naturally ebullient character of this Merlot. We're sure you'll agree that this Ratbag is actually a charmer, and one that doesn't make promises it isn't willing to keep!

Red-hot winemaker Tim Burvill left a successful stint at Southcorp to found Rockbare. With Rockbare, Burvill sources fruit from some of McLaren Vale's oldest vines to produce incredibly intense wines such as this dense Shiraz. The 2006 vintage had Burvill doing cartwheels around the winery as it yielded a blockbuster wine with ultraripe black fruit flavours with notes of licorice, black olives and new oak. It's a powerhouse, rich and concentrated, with a generous mouth-feel and a long finish. Decant and enjoy with roasted lamb or cellar for 5-10 years.

Margaret River's Stella Bella winery is sure to have tongues wagging about Skuttlebutt. This blend of Shiraz and Cabernet weaves bright red-fruit aromas with notes of chocolate and new oak. The palate offers bold fruit flavours of ripe red currants, plum and blueberries with soft and subtle oak on the long, satisfying finish. The opportunity to catch up with friends over a glass of good wine is the perfect occasion for Skuttlebutt.

Wakefield is called Taylors in Australia; they use this alternative name for the rest of the world to avoid confusion with an identically named California winery.

This exuberant Sauvignon Blanc bursts with intense floral and passion fruit aromas that lead to flavours of gooseberry, pear and melon on the refreshing palate. This is prototypical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with loads of personality and the promise of spring in every glass. Enjoy it with lemon chicken or grilled seafood.

Kim Crawford's aim is to have every vintage of his Sauvignon Blanc exhibit all the classic flavours and aromas we've come to expect from New Zealand, such as gooseberry, peapods, asparagus, passion fruit and citrus. He achieves all that and more. The 2006 received a score of 92 from Wine Spectator (Dec. 15, 2006) and the 2007 vintage is poised for the same sort of success. Tantalizing with monkfish with tomato and fresh herbs or steamed mussels.

This wine is just being released now because Meerlust prefers to bottle-age its wines for four years in cellar before putting them on the market. After all, this is a producer who needn't feel hurried: the Myburgh family has owned the property for 250 years! Winemaker Chris Williams is dedicated to investigating the unique terroir of each separate vineyard in his wines. Meerlust is thus both rooted in history and an innovator in South African winemaking.

The components for Napier's Red Medallion are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Each portion is aged separately for about a year to a year and a half in French oak and the final blend is matured for an additional six months in bottle before release. This attention to detail resulted in both a Gold Medal and the 'Discovery of the Show' trophy at the Fairbairn Capital Wine Show in June 2005.

Robertson Winery is the epitome of co-operative effort: 43 growers/owners contribute their grapes to the wine cellar. Wolfkloof Shiraz is named after a farm owned by the Viljoen family, one of the 43 families. This is quite spicy and lush up front, but opens up into flavours of ripe fruit and chocolate with unobtrusive oak notes and supple tannins. Rich, warm and vibrant, this is the perfect red with which to see out the last vestiges of winter.

The Muré family have been growing grapes in Alsace since 1648. Their wines express the classic characteristics of whatever grape variety they use. This Gewurztraminer is sourced from 29-year-old vines and displays aromas of lychee and rose petals. It's dry, full-bodied and full-flavoured. It will delight as an aperitif or pair it with exotic foods like lamb curry.

Klevener is also known as Savagnin Rosé, a pink version of the Savagnin (a.k.a. Traminer) grape. According to Jancis Robinson MW, "Klevener de Heiligenstein is an Alsace oddity, a vine specialty of the village of Heligenstein introduced in 1740 by its mayor Erhard Wantz, possibly from Chiavenna in the Italian alps. It is a locally adapted Traminer ... which is increasingly popular."' Be on the cutting edge and try this delicious 'oddity' from Alsace.

From a conscientious producer, a Sauvignon de Touraine can provide a less expensive alternative to the Loire's more famous Sauvignons produced in appellations such as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé and these less expensive Touraine wines can be particularly successful in riperVINTAGES ... (Jancis Robinson MW, The Oxford Companion to Wine, 2006)

Taking their name from a small town on the banks of the Loire River, Vouvray wines are generally composed of the great white grape, Chenin Blanc. The area is unique in the length of its harvest, with the latest passages, for off-dry and sweet wines, taking place as late as November. Vouvray is a perfect candidate for current consumption with spicy seafood dishes or, because of its lip-smacking, refreshing acidity, can be aged for up to 10 years.

The owner of Château la Gasparde is Jean-Pierre Janoueix. He comes from an influential winemaking dynasty that was started by his great-grandfather, Jean Janoueix, whose descendants are owners of numerous properties in Bordeaux. The Janoueix's have intimate knowledge of the region as well as a respect for tradition which is pleasingly obvious in this classic Bordeaux.

Jean-Pierre Rivière has been the owner of Château Moulin de Lavaud since 1998. His 6 ha of vineyards, located next to the Pomerol appellation, are composed of gravel and clay that require heavy green-harvesting to reduce yields. Incidentally, Jean-Pierre intends to increase the percentage of Merlot grown in his vineyards as the grape variety has responded so well to the soil conditions. Wines from this château are renowned for their full body and well-integrated fruit. Cellar this wine for 2-5 years, or enjoy it tonight with a rare Angus steak.

65607    (XD)            750 mL    $25.95   

This third wine of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. It is made with the same exacting standards that this famous property applies to all its wines. This is a seductive offering with aromas of spring flowers, cherry, cassis and vanilla. A good tannin structure suggests mid-term ageing potential, but it will work now with roast beef and root vegetables.

Using many of the same grapes as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rasteau is considered its chief rival in the making of quality wines from the southern Rhône. The wines are, in the words of Jancis Robinson MW, "heady, typically very concentrated". (Oxford Companion to Wine, 2006) Enjoy this one with grilled lamb.

Generally perceived as a white wine appellation, Alto Adige actually produces more reds than whites, notably wine made from local Lagrein grape. Producers, by adjusting the length of maceration and methods of ageing this wine, have transformed a dark and somewhat tannic grape into a much friendlier creature. The 2005 is ready to seduce you with its forward fruit, full body and satisfying concentration.

Founded in 1885 and recently expanded, this winery is a splendid balance of ancient and modern. The wines have always had a typically Trentino character that puts the accent on pleasure. Intended mainly for a foreign market, the range aims to bring out the best in the varieties from this zone. (Gambero Rosso Italian Wines, 2007) Rotaliano is an indigenous grape that makes deeply coloured, lively, fruity wines that are best enjoyed within 2-4 years of vintage.

Primitivo is the name of a grape grown in the Puglia region in southern Italy. This wine is perfect for a lasagna or pizza dinner with friends. Impress your friends by telling them that through DNA 'fingerprinting' it has been determined that Primitivo is essentially the same grape as California's Zinfandel.

A consistent favourite withVINTAGES customers, this Ripasso always delivers with loads of plum, cherry, chocolate, leather and licorice characteristics. It is dry and supple with a medium body and substantial finish. Enjoy with grilled lamb chops.

Trying to will spring and summer on? Vinho Verde is one of those perfect wines to conjure images of hot, sunny days. Traditionally produced in a bone-dry style, it is especially flavourful when producers use the superior Alvarinho grape in the blend. This lightly frizzante wine is fruity and crisp. Enjoy with the Portuguese dish Rissóis, a deep-fried dumpling that is traditionally filled with crab, but variations can include fish, mussels or even spicy ground beef.

In order to preserve its fresh fruit intensity, this wine is matured exclusively in stainless steel vats. A blend of Baga, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, it features pretty aromas of blackberry, cherry, underbrush and sweet oak spice. Enjoy this wine with braised beef dishes.

Made with the white grape Viura, this wine shows beautiful aromas, including spring flowers, grapefruit, orange blossom, citrus and fresh mango. It is nicely balanced by a seam of acidity. This long-finishing wine is a great match for mildly spicy seafood.

Can Blau is the joint effort of Jorge Ordóñez and Ángel Gil of Bodegas Juan Gil. This dark purple blend of Carignan, Syrah and Garnacha, first made in 2004, features aromas of dark fruit with hints of licorice and oak. Add mineral notions to the preceding for an idea of what this is like on the palate. It's medium full-bodied, a big wine, with lots of fruit and spice on the long finish. Reviews aren't in yet for the 2006 (Parker and Tanzer both gave the 2005 a score of 90) but this is an ever-popular and inexpensive beauty from an underrated region of Spain.

Unlike the majority of Rioja wines which are blends of Tempranillo and other grapes (aged in American oak), this version is made with only Tempranillo and is aged in French oak casks for 24 months plus six years in bottle before release. The result is aromas of red currants, clove and black pepper. The palate shows a medium body, smooth tannins and lingering spice-filled finish. The producer recommends pairing it with stewed fish, game casseroles and suckling pig.