Give me a few sunny days in a row—like we’ve had lately—and off I go, bunging a bunch of whites and pinks in the fridge to confirm, or at least substantiate, springish-ness.

Here’s a mixed box to tempt your taste buds (and empty your wallet), and to try your sleuthing skills to locate them. First clue: the winery is always the best bet. This is what I forced the panel to taste.

Quails’ Gate Chasselas/Pinot Blanc/Pinot Gris 2012 ($18.99)
A grand, refreshing blend of three bright varieties. Complex and hearty, unique in B.C., with deep flavours of asparagus and rhubarb among the many. An all-around food wine; use your imagination for pairing.

Quails’ Gate Rose 2012 ($15.99)
If you like to drink pink, you’ll love this bracing little number made from Gamay Noir grapes. It’s hearty on the palate, crisp and full-bodied, dry but very deeply flavoured. This has to be one of the better pinks to come out of the Okanagan. Ideal as the full-meal deal—from appies to a lunch salad or pasta and through to dessert.

Quails’ Gate Dry Riesling 2012 ($16.99)
Dry Riesling is one of the best luncheon wines for my money. There are a few produced in B.C., and this sits right at the top of the heap: fresh and bracing, appropriately dry, fine for fish and other seafood, curries, quiches, and egg dishes.

Quails’ Gate Gewurztraminer 2012 ($16.99)
Here is where you get the aromatic, floral flavours, and while sweetness is there, it isn’t overt. In fact, this is one of the least overtly aromatic Gewürzes you’ll encounter in B.C. Fruity and very full, with just a hint of floral notes. Roast pork with garlic, rosemary, and a mustard glaze appreciates it, particularly with roasted spring vegetables round the roast.

Quails’ Gate Chenin Blanc 2012 ($18.99)
One of my favourite Okanagan varieties, Chenin Blanc is among the most versatile white food wines we have. Quite a few wineries make it—and make it well—notable among them being Road 13 and Quails’ Gate. Take a sniff of the glass—it already smells like spring. On the palate, it’s fruity and full, with a bright, lemony finish. Just the thing for prosciutto and asparagus roll-ups with a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Clos du Soleil Fume Blanc 2012 ($19.90, 550 cases)
Here’s one of B.C.’s few Fumé Blancs—maybe the only one—and it’s a winner. Taking as a point of departure Robert Mondavi’s original marketing concept, this is state-of-the-art Sauvignon Blanc with an edge of smoke and brilliant acidity. The winemaker uses the same grapes that go into the Similkameen winery’s Capella but gives things a tweak; the result is a fabulous, crisp white wine that is especially suited to “traditional West Coast seafood dishes”. Steely and bright, it favours soft cheeses. Worth a trip to Keremeos to stock up for spring and summer entertaining on the deck.

Wapiti Cellars Viognier 2011 ($25.90, 186 cases)
This hard-to-find label is described as “a division of Foxtrot Vineyards” by the winemakers, Nadine and Gustav Allander. It was started in 2010 to “vinify non-Burgundian wines…[as] a fan of aromatic whites and full-bodied reds Nadine is excited to be making a Viognier in a traditional Northern Rhone style”. And she does it especially well, as this first outing aptly demonstrates. It’s a deeply fruity, grapefruit-edged Viognier, fully barrel-fermented with five months in French oak. Very rich and expansive on the palate and all-around lovely. Probably not found in any but the most adventurous private stores, so off to Naramata you go.

Mount Boucherie Estate Collection Ehrenfelser 2011 ($15.99)
Another Okanagan Ehrenfelser for fresh spring meals, this wants to be very cold in the glass. Big and aromatic, fresh and full, it showcases “sweet grapefruit, green apple and a hint of honey”, according to the tasting notes on the back label. Try it with crispy-grilled chicken or pork, or anything spicy.

One of my favourite little wineries is Vancouver Island’s Rocky Creek, with its surprisingly large—and interesting—portfolio. Here are three new spring treats from the Cowichan Valley.

Rocky Creek Robin’s Rose 2012 ($19, 55 cases)
With so few cases made, this delightful strawberry-hued and -tasting pink wine will sell out quickly, if it hasn’t already. Made from Pinot Noir grapes, it’s named for one of the winemakers’ (Mark and Linda Holford) daughters and comes with a gentle, low alcohol (10 percent) to make it the perfect spring and summer gulping wine—if you can a) find it and b) keep it around long enough. Simply delicious, tinged with a little bit of berry sweetness; as the Holfords say, just the ticket for “when white just won’t do and red is too much!” This is a barbecue wine for sure, also for “nachos, Dungeness crab cakes and baby back ribs”. I love the individually silk-screened bottles—must be costly!—and am getting used to the efficiently reclosable Zork closure.

Rocky Creek Pinot Gris 2012 ($22, 210 cases)
In more of the handsome packaging that characterizes the Rocky Creek wines, this starts with a pinkish hue in the glass but tastes hearty and robust, with apple and citrus edges. They like it with “sushi, spicy prawns and fried chicken”. Sure, but we had it with roasted-garlic Havarti and Radamer cheeses, and it was delicious.

Rocky Creek Siegerrebe 2012 ($22, 75 cases)
This is the first year for this delightful German variety that was previously used for blending. They’ve translated Siegerrebe as “victor of the vine”, which works for this old German-born commentator. The wine is off-dry, with a lemony hue, presenting plenty of flowers and spice, honey and rose petals to both nose and palate. It’s probably an acquired taste for some. They say it goes well with “fish tacos, asparagus and crab cakes”. Agreed. Try something new; there isn’t much Siegerrebe made in B.C.