It may seem rather premature to talk about something that doesn't happen until May, but the Wine Summit Lake Louise at the Post Hotel sells out every year, long before the actual festival.

This year's summit will take place May 26 to 29 and will feature winemakers and owners of some of the world's finest wineries, including Chateau de Beaucastel, Domaine Weinbach, Masi Agricola and Harlan Estate. Impressive. Until then, here are three very good wines to help celebrate winter.

Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava (non-vintage)

(Penedes, Spain)

Made in the

traditional method (which is to say, like Champagne), this bright, dry brut Cava (sparkling wine from Spain) is a steal of a deal.

In fact, it's one of my new favourite sparklers, a tasty treat for anyone who wants bubbles but doesn't feel like coughing up the big bucks for true Champagne. Lots of toasty, apple and citrus notes.

Price: About $14, at Centre Street North Liquor Store, Cork Fine Wine, Liquor & Ale, The Cellar, Enoteca, Highlander Wine & Spirits and Sunnyside Liquor Store.

Drink: Now, as an aperitif or any time you need a budget wine for a celebration. Cork closure.

Lantides Estate G., 2007 (Nimea, Peloponnese, Greece)

My goal this spring is to drink more Greek wine; I figure I'm doing my part to help the Greek economy recover from the recession, and, along the way, I'm experiencing some very interesting and often delicious wines.

Take this food-friendly red wine, for instance. It's made from agiorgitiko grapes, an indigenous Greek variety that, translated, means "St. George."

A dark purple-red colour, it spent 14 months in oak, which gives it some vanilla and spice notes.

A grape to know, a wine to try and a winery to watch.

As for Peloponnese, it's a peninsula in southern Greece; the name literally means "Island of Pelops," who was an ancient Greek hero who conquered the region.

Price: About $25 at 100 Wines by David Walker, Ferocious Grape and, in Cochrane, Vinestone Wine Co.

Also on the wine list at Vin Room in Calgary, and The Balkan Restaurant in Banff.

Drink: Now, with grilled meats, or cellar for a couple of years. Cork closure.

Graffigna Winery

Centenario, Pinot Grigio Reserve, 2010 (San Juan, Argentina)

Argentina's winemakers are making waves internationally for their Malbec wines -- reds that we Albertans have fallen for in a big way.

But a Pinot Grigio from Argentina? Not so common here. Pinot Grigio, yes, but most comes from, say, Italy.

Some Pinot Grigio can be fairly forgettable, but this one has big floral, melon and peach notes. Not one to overanalyze; one to just enjoy, especially considering the price. (You'll often find it for less than 10 bucks.)

Price: About $12. Widely available, including Calgary Co-op Wines & Spirits, City Limits Liquor Store, Crowfoot Liquor Store, Grapes & Grains at WestHills, Inglewood Wine Market, Liquor Depot, Olympia Liquor, and Willow Park Wines & Spirits.

Drink: Now,

with food, perhaps a creamy pasta sauce, salad, Mexican dishes or soft cheeses. Screw cap closure. Serve chilled.

Shelley Boettcher is the executive

editor of Wine Access magazine and the author of Uncorked: The

Definitive Guide to Alberta's Best Wines Under $25 (Whitecap, $19.95).