Before I get to this week’s recommended bottles, I’m going to briefly reach into the reader mailbag. I’ve just passed my five-month mark at the Straight, and appreciate the feedback, comments, tweets, and shares this column has received. One thing that has come up now and again is the price points of my recommendations, with the occasional reader passing along that from time to time, I can be a tad, er, spendy with my selections. This is absolutely true, and I’d like to address it.

Trust me, it’s not exactly a regular thing for me, either, to run to the store for $30, $40, or $50 wines to have with dinner midweek. What I have also heard from readers, though, is that they already have their favourite or go-to wines that are under 20 bucks, and they actually appreciate direction for those times when they want to get a little spendier themselves, since it’s indeed a bigger investment and leap of faith when dropping upwards of 50 bucks.

A good wine is all about balance—of fruit concentration, sugar, acidity, and tannin. Most winemakers will say that’s what they are striving for. I feel the same way about this column and so it’s a balance I strive for, so regardless of who’s reading, they’ll find something they’re looking for or discover something new and interesting.

In fact, that’s what this particular column entails, a small handful of wines and a beer that were new and interesting to me, as this week was my maiden voyage with each of ’em.

Baron Philippe de Rothschild 2013 Anderra Sauvignon Blanc (Central Valley, Chile; $13.99, B.C. Liquor Stores)
The Chilean outpost of the Bordeaux empire that needs no introduction offers a steal of a Sauvignon Blanc with clean aromatics of citrus, lime zest, and white flowers. Those characteristics had me thinking this could be a simple, almost delicate wine until my first sip unleashed a flood of lemon and tangerine, rounded out with a good hunk of key lime pie. A little more rich than a lot of higher-acid Sauvignon Blancs out there around this price, it’s immediately quaffable and, better yet, two bucks off until the end of the month.

Finca Allende 2007 Rioja (Rioja, Spain; $38 to $42, private liquor stores)
Brooding reds made from Tempranillo out of Rioja can be anything from fruit-forward and lively to earthy and straight out of the barnyard. I’m smitten with how this jaunty little number balances both ends of the spectrum while possessing the buoyancy of a lighter wine. The French and American oak it’s aged in by no means weighs it down; in fact, it simply vaults the dried plum, hint of leather, candied red fruit, lilacs, dates, grilled Roma tomatoes, and Coronation grapes right onto the palate. Juicy, bright, and just plushy enough to wash down roast lamb, grilled chorizo, and much more. Spotted recently at Marquis Wine Cellars.

Upper Bench 2012 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Okanagan Valley, B.C.; $35,  Visit Upper Bench website)
Not gonna lie, I got a little worried when I saw that this Cabernet Sauvignon was from the Upper Bench estate vineyard in Naramata. It can be a challenge to properly ripen thick-skinned and hearty Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in British Columbia. The most successful ventures are usually grown down south out of hotter microclimates like Oliver or the deserts of Osoyoos. Well, it’s a good thing Upper Bench’s Naramata vineyard is positioned to soak up that mid and latter day sun as it begins to set in the west, because they’ve done pulled it off! Sweet mint, currants, and cedar aromas waft prettily out of the glass, and then the palate gets a little more weighty with currants, smoked beef brisket, and anise. It’s still a baby, a touch wound up, but since the tannins aren’t aggressive, the acid is where it should be, and its alcohol level is a very civilized 13 percent, feel free to pull a cork now and get those steaks sizzling.

Red Truck IPA (Vancouver, B.C.; $13 to $15/six-pack, private liquor stores)
Since we pretty much get a new craft brewery around these parts every couple of weeks and we always like the hot new thing, let’s not ignore some of the great stuff being put out by some of our more “old-school” craft breweries, like Red Truck, which got going in 2005. I know, 2005—so far back, right? I’m talking Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” and Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah’s couch. This India Pale Ale’s loaded with grilled pink grapefruit, Tahitian vanilla bean, baked lemon, and fresh rosemary. On the local IPA scale, and there’s a lot of ’em to go by, this one’s probably a touch more malty and a bit less hoppy than what you may be used to. If you find the hoppiness of the typical style a little too extreme, this may be just what you’re looking for.