Arpa Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
IGT Toscana, Italy $20.95 (455527) 14.0% alcohol
Charred toast, mixed spice and pencil shaving aromas waft from this medium-plus weight racy red. Peppery spice, red currant and tapenade interweave with gamy notes and black cherry on the palate while austere, still-evolving tannin infuses the back palate, finish and aftertaste. Aerate/decant a couple of hours pouring with savory, herb-laced tomato sauce and pasta. (Vic Harradine)

• From Mission Hill’s Legacy series, this next wine is from select, south Okanagan fruit, aged two years in barrel plus two years in bottle prior to release. Drones sweep across vineyards photographing vines, from which only certain parcels of Syrah, Merlot and the Cabernets are selected. Twice the required grapes are harvested, each parcel separately fermented and aged with only the best barrels selected.

  
Mission Hill ‘Quatrain’ 2011
VQA Okanagan Valley $59.95 (218636) 13.5% alcohol
This is vibrant, well-defined in structure, offering aromas and flavours of dark fruits—blueberry, blackberry and plum—spicy floral notes and traces of vanilla, earth and dark chocolate. Dry, full bodied and long through the textured finish, you’ll enjoy tasting this on its own or with roast lamb. (Susan Desjardins)

  
Waterkloof ‘Circle of Life’ 2012
WO Stellenbosch, South Africa $ (284588) 13.5% alcohol
This stellar white—Sauvignon Blanc/Chenin Blanc/Semillon—is a co-fermented blend offering complex aromas of flowers and herbs, honey and smoke, citrus and pear. There’s a mineral quality on the palate, harmonized with notes of tropical fruit, honeydew melon and lemon-lime. Hints of smoke arise on the dry, fresh and lasting finish. Serve with seafood or grilled fish. (Susan Desjardins)

• There’s more to Western Australia than magnificent Margaret River and one of the burgeoning wine regions is Geographe. Only a couple of hours south of Perth, it pretty much hugs the coast of Geographe Bay basking in the cool, afternoon sea breezes. The landscape is now dotted with family-owned and managed vineyards and wineries. The following Geographe Shiraz is a wonderful way to get acquainted with a region about which you’ll be hearing more. Here’s a brief video about and by Willow Bridge Estate and their hillside vineyards.

  
Willow Bridge Estate ‘Dragonfly’ Shiraz 2014
Geographe, Western Australia $18.95 (289249) 14.5% alcohol
Aromas of smoke, cedar and mocha set the table for a fruit bowl of tangy flavour with pie cherry and black currant intertwined with savory herbs and wisps of minerality. It’s medium bodied and deftly balanced with a lovely finish and aftertaste, dry and mouth-watering good. (Vic Harradine)

  
Mission Hill ‘Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
VQA Okanagan Valley $27.95 (553321) 14.0% alcohol
Elusive notes of dried herbs tantalize the nose, entwined with aromas of cedar, cinnamon toast, vanilla and sun-ripened black berries. Dry, full bodied, this wine shows well-orchestrated harmony of ripe yet firm tannins, a juicy texture and clean, pure flavours of cassis and black berry, enhanced with notes of mint and dark chocolate. There’s intensity and depth of flavour through the extended finish. A great wine to serve with grilled beef tenderloin. (Susan Desjardins)

  
Mission Hill ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay 2013
VQA Okanagan Valley $21.95 (545004) 13.5% alcohol
Displaying aromas of tropical and tree fruit, custard and spice, this is beautifully crafted showing exemplary balance. Dry, on the full side of medium-bodied, there’s intensity to the flavours of grilled pear and pineapple. The warmth of spiced nuances, nutty toasty notes of well-integrated oak and the subtle yet refreshing acidity bringing poise to the wine and length to the finish. (Susan Desjardins)