One of my most anticipated signs of a new vintage is the phone call from Robert Van Westen of the vineyard–and more recently the winery of the same name, announcing his seasonal drive down to the coast, bringing the new releases to taste. He drops off a bottle or two, and travels on.

The trouble is, he also drops off case lots at some of the most wine-savvy restaurants in the city, all eager subscribers to his line of luscious, rich wines. And when your total production four different wines, three whites and one red is barely more than 800 cases, that means supplies pretty much instantly evaporate.

Speed in acquisition is the name of the game with Van Westen Vineyards' wines. Two of the whites, the Vino Grigio and the Vivacious, were released a couple of months ago; the third, Vio ­gnier, appeared barely a week ago, while the red isn't scheduled to be tasted until April Fools' Day. A call to the winery (250-496-0067) will help you assess the availability situation. Checking in with the winery is a good idea anyway if you want to be kept apprised of when the next batch is due, they'll put your name on the list. So far I haven't heard of any reservation plans for the limited allocation, but maybe we could apply a bit of gentle pressure to get them to institute something like that.

This is only the third vintage released by Van Westen and, true to an already established pattern, they are all very much worth the wait. And worth cellaring, if you can stand it; all of the whites and the single red have good aging potential for at least a couple more winters.

The Van Westen family has been growing grapes for half a century on the prestigious Naramata Bench, engaging in what the winemaker terms "sustainable cool climate viticultural practices". Lucky CedarCreek Estate Winery got much of the crop in the past. Recently, Robert Van Westen thought it might be nice to make and bottle some wine himself.

All three available wines are presented in silk-screened bottles, with a Nike-like swoosh of a V making them instantly identifiable. With that and all the names starting with the letter V, there's no mistaking the brand. You just pull the cork, and it's all palate delight.

Here, then, are the first three: solid, well-made, handsomely finished, lip-smacking, delicious whites.

Vino Grigio 2006 This is all Pinot Gris from VW's Home Lot Vineyard, big and bold at 13.8 percent alcohol, all stainless steel, from fermentation to bottle. The winemaker calls for "apple, melon, fennel, and spice; floral notes; pear, green melon, and citrus". It's a sturdy wine with very full fruit at the front, sides, and back of the palate. It's deep, intense, and tongue-coating. Each successive vintage of this one solidifies VW's reputation as a major player, and one of the top 10 white-wine producers in B.C. today. A mere $18.90 is the good news; only 222 cases made is the bad.

Vivacious 2006 This one is almost entirely Pinot Blanc (96 percent), with a little softening four-percent glug of Pinot Gris (what didn't go into the Vino Grigio). This time, there's a little oak involved, with an emphasis on little. It's light and easy, beautifully integrated wood that lets the bright, fresh fruit shine: "Vanillin, spice, apple skin, citrus”¦crisp apple and mineral finish". There's major mineral here, for sure, and we found celery leaf, and maybe even a little freshly cut cilantro in the taste, too. It's the same price $18.90 but a slightly larger production of 264 cases.

Viognier 2006 This is VW's Condrieu by way of Naramata, a New World textbook definition of the celebrated French variety at its most expressive. The winemaker's observations: "The wine is the colour of sunshine and has fresh aromas of ripe peaches, apricots, honeysuckle and citrus”¦" A less poetic, more visceral reaction came from one of the tasters, who took a mega gulp, pounded the table, and exclaimed, "Damn! That's good!"

That bright, abundant stone-fruit nose gives way to a solid follow-through all along the tongue's taste receptors, ending in a rich, satisfying, lingering finish hinting at lemon and lime. If you love Viognier these days, everyone does, judging by the huge international selection available at the LDB you'll need some of this. All 104 cases have left the winery, and the $24.90 price is reasonable for the pleasure it supplies the palate.

I'll look at the Meritage-style red, Voluptuous, when the phone call comes in April.

On the subject of wine-savvy restaurants, you can find Van Westen wines at Café de Paris (less the two we had with a terrific cassoulet dinner the other night), West, Lumií¨re, the Hermitage, Salt Tasting Room, Ocean 617, So.Cial at Le Magasin, Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House, GoldFish Pacific Kitchen, Le Crocodile, and Le Gavroche. If you detect a little imbalance in favour of French restaurants in that list, it only shows that in this city, the French aren't as chauvinistic about their wines as they are at home. Quite a few other restaurants also carry Van Westen wines; a list can be found at www.vanwestenvineyards.com/.

This is a small but excellent portfolio of wines. "Damn! That's good!" might not be quite as focus-grouped a slogan as "I'm lovin' it," but it works for me.