Sometimes you want a wine that you can continuously swirl and ponder, a bottle so full of nuance and delicacy that with each sip you peel back another layer, looking for that extra fleck of pepper or parsley. And then there are the times when you want a wine to march right up to you with a hearty “Hello!” and shower you with all of its energy and cheer right off the bat. Those are the wines I’ll be covering this week.

These five bottles aren’t wallflowers, nor are they shy—they sing exuberantly of the place they come from, bringing waves of flavour and character. This doesn’t mean they’re big “fruit bombs”, either. Nope, they’re simply bright, charismatic wines that’ll make an impression and leave you grinning after just one sip.

As a side note, I’ve gone a tad spendier than us­ual this week. I’m assuming I’m not the only one making my credit card work overtime this season to elevate the merriment. Come the New Year, I promise to unleash a bunch of budget-friendly buys.

Sperling Vineyards 2009 Sparkling Brut (Okanagan Valley, B.C.; $40, Sperling Vineyards website)
Winemaker Ann Sperling grew up on her family’s Okanagan vineyards, so she’s as much a part of B.C. terroir as our notorious mineral-rich soils and long summer days. Here, she’s crafted a 2009-vintage Champagne-style bubble via the traditional method from a block of old Pinot Blanc vines in Kelowna. On the nose, it’s grilled sourdough slathered with lemon curd, leading to a bounty of fresh Granny Smith apples, pink grapefruit (pith and all), and a kiss of honey. There’s fantastic intensity and concentration here, with a very long finish. Pair it with a cheese board, and feel free to go as stinky and bold as you like.

Famille Perrin 2013 Tavel (Rhône Valley, France; $25.99, B.C. Liquor Stores)
Whether you’re having turkey, ham, or even rabbit this Christmas, pink wine is the way to go. Tavel’s corner of France’s Rhône Valley brings us some of the best rosés on the planet, this one being a notable example of the region’s mighty clout. It ain’t sweet, though its reddish, jujubelike colour may leave you thinking otherwise; the blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault flows out of the bottle with baked strawberries and plums, a few dates, a couple of fresh-plucked violets, and a dusting of nutmeg over top of it all.

SpierHead 2013 Pinot Noir Cuvée (Okanagan Valley, B.C.; $33,  SpierHead Winery website)
A hand-harvested blend of the winery’s top Pinot Noir barrels, this one’s loaded with candied red fruit, cinnamon, and black cherry. My favourite part? Right in the middle of it all, there’s blueberry galette, fresh out of the oven. To cap it all off, there’s a touch of anise and black licorice on the finish that adds an extra layer of fun. A well-balanced charmer. The price listed here is winery-direct, but you can find it in a handful of private liquor stores around town for a few bucks more.

Villa di Capezzana 2010 Carmignano (Tuscany, Italy; $45.99, B.C. Liquor Stores)
Out of Tuscany comes this Sangiovese topped up with a hearty dose of Cabernet Sauvignon. A stew of dried fruit with potpourri wafting through it, there’s a lot to chew on here. A solid lashing of fine tannins among mocha and currants will sidle up to grilled meats and big flavours with ease.

Charles Smith 2012 Boom Boom! Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington state; $28 to $32, private liquor stores)
The wines under Charles Smith’s Washington-state label can easily be dismissed due to their image-heavy black-and-white labels with simple, chunky fonts. Those passing ’em by are totally miss­ing out. One of my favourites, year after year, is the Boom Boom! Syrah, a boisterous take on the grape, which excels south of the border. After the aromatics of violets, lilacs, and pepper bloom, a big wedge of chocolate bark drops front and centre. I’m talking the kind you’re likely to have around the holidays with dried cranberries and blueberries, roasted hazelnuts and almonds, then a wee bit of cinnamon and cloves for some extra pizzazz. It’s an absolute monster in the glass and on the palate, but it stays tempered through 13.5 percent alcohol and balanced acidity. Grab the biggest glass you can find and keep swirling as you drink; there’s plenty of flavour and oomph to be unleashed.