Here are the wines that I recommended while chatting with Kelly Ryan and Cameron Phillips on the CBC radio program Freestyle, heard nationally at 2 p.m. weekdays. You can find more wine picks on my web site. If you'd like to receive my newsletter in which I include both wine picks and articles, please sign up here.

Pinot Noir

Lakeview Cellars Pinot Noir 'Butler's Grant' 2002 $13.95 VQA Niagara Peninsula (XD) VC: Lakeview crafts an elegant pinot, with aromas of red cherry, ripe raspberry and some woody tones. The flavors replay the fruit aromas with an additional layer of earthiness. It's medium-light bodied with a long, dusty and dry finish. My note: Great price for pinot. (Miles, that character in the movie Sideways who loved pinot, would smile tasting this one.) Aromas of sweet cherries. Good balance. Score: 88/100

Inniskillin Montague Pinot Noir Niagara $19.95: Bursting with ripe berries and cherries. A lovely medium-bodied wine to accompany many dishes, from fish to fowl. Score: 89/100.

Blue Mountain Blue Stripe Pinot Noir 2003, Okanagan Valley, B.C. $23: One of the best producers of pinot in the country. This elegant and silky red will break your heart, not just because it's so good but also because they're so scarce. Contact: www.bluemountainwinery.com or 250-497-8244. Score: 93/100.


Sparkling Wine

Summerhill Pyramid Winery Cipes Brut, Okanagan, British Columbia Product number: 314419 $19.95: Hands-down the best Canadian sparkling wine I've ever tasted. And lest that qualification seems too reserved, let me say that this is a marvelous, robust and rich bubbly that holds its own next to the famous non-vintage sparklers from around the world. Toasty goodness, a strong backbone and enough green apple zip to carry you through even the most boring cocktail parties. No sulfites added from this organic winery. If you can get it, order a case of it as your house bubbly. At this price, you can't go wrong. For this wine, you probably need to order directly from the winery so I'll include the contact information: 250-764-8000 or 800-667-3538 or visit www.summerhill.bc.ca. Score: 90/100.

Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose Brut Champagne $74.95 Champagne, France: A lovely bubbly with enticing aromas of raspberries and strawberries. Score: 90/100.