It’s awfully sunny, the mercury’s rising, and you’re thinking a midday picnic would be perfect. Preparing everything at home smacks of effort, though, so you and a few pals decide to grab a little takeout sushi. You end up with a wide array laid out after you unfurl your picnic blanket and settle in.

Among the spread are a few California rolls, some scallop sashimi, and a good amount of spicy tuna rolls—your favourite. You want to drink something cheery and refreshing to go with it all, but you also don’t want to get too lethargic or boozy.

Fortunately, you’ve picked up a nicely chilled bottle of Yalumba 2015 Christobel’s Moscato (South Australia, $15.99, B.C. Liquor Stores). You’re charmed by those notes of lemonade, lime leaf, and cream soda, and that smattering of white flowers makes things all the more pretty. That little touch of fizz perfectly suits the effervescence of the day, and although there’s definitely a good dollop of sweetness on the finish, that balances out the heat of the spicy tuna roll and slight saltiness of the others. You love that the 8.5-percent alcohol level in the wine keeps you happy and spry. Even better—you’ve picked up this bottle at B.C. Liquor Stores before June 4, when it’s selling for a limited time at a dollar off.

It’s late afternoon on a weekend full of household chores and it’s time for a little light lunch on the balcony. You’re fairly hungry, but you did have a hearty brunch and that later-in-the-day sunshine is really starting to set in. Nothing too heavy. You look in the fridge to see what you can muster and remember you have half of that rotisserie chicken you bought yesterday.

There’s also an avocado, some romaine lettuce, a few pea shoots, a container of Salt Spring Island goat cheese, and a couple rashers of bacon. You decide to do your take on a Cobb salad with what you have on hand, throwing it all together and splashing it with a simple citrus vinaigrette. You then recall that a friend left behind a bottle of Errazuriz 2015 Estate Series Sauvignon Blanc (Acongagua, Chile; $12.29, B.C. Liquor Stores) when you had a few folks over the other night, so you decide to twist off the cap and give it a whirl. Surely, it was meant to be!

The wine sings with lime and lemon, along with plenty of fresh summer peas and just a pinch of white pepper on the finish. Sometimes you find Sauvignon Blancs have too much of that bitter green-bell-pepper character, but you’re delighted that this one doesn’t carry that note at all. You really do have to get to that laundry you’ve been putting off; another glass of wine will surely put you in the mood…

A barbecue? Sure! You’d love to come to a barbecue! You get a heads up that it’s definitely going to be a carnivorous one, with spareribs, steak, and hamburgers. Although many of the other guests are likely to bring beer, you’re more in the mood for red wine and know that once it starts being poured, there will be others who flock to the bottle. A Cabernet Sauvignon would be perfect.

You normally head to the store’s California section, but you decide you want to try a little something different. The guy at the store recommends Jim Barry “The Cover Drive” 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, Australia; $27.99, B.C. Liquor Stores). You normally associate Australia with big, jammy Shirazes, but you’re told that this fruit is grown in Coonawarra in South Australia, where cool Antarctic breezes come flowing up across the Great Southern Ocean, moderating the temperature. You learn that this, combined with the region’s unique terra rossa and limestone soils, makes it a perfect place to produce well-built Cabernets that have good acidity and aren’t overly rich or sweet.

When you get to the barbecue and are served your first burger, you go to pour your first glass of the stuff when a friend recommends you put the wine on ice for a few minutes first. A big red wine? Really? Yes, she confirms. Having been outside for a little while, the wine may be a touch warm, and that will make the alcohol stand out too much and the overall structure of the wine will be out of whack. You do that, and once you have your first sip of that slightly chilled wine, you get what she’s talking about. It’s showing really well. The first things you note are aromatics of eucalyptus and cedar, then those first few sips are loaded with blackberries and red currants, and there’s a nice little earthy character to it as well.

You tuck the wine behind the cooler, just out of view from the crowd. While you’re enjoying the company and conversation, you’re now smitten with this wine and have just decided you’d rather not share.