They say you can't judge a book by its cover.

The same goes for a bottle of wine. At least most of the time. However, once in a while along comes a package that tempts purely by what's on the outside -- before you even get to the inside.

When we first heard South Okanagan's highly successful Twisted Tree was changing its name to "Moon Curser," we scratched our head. Never mind. The new fantastical, gold trimmed design (by marketing guru Bernie Hadley Beauregard) is, quite simply, brilliant. Grab some complex, layered and structured '09 Tempranillo ($29, VQA stores) for that next serious steak. Or, stock in some '09 Border Vines, the remake of the very solid Twisted Tree Six Vines, almost Bordeaux-ish (but for the Carmenere) blend; $25 VQA stores.

When the Aussies come to town we've learned to expect some decent drops. But nothing prepared us for the onslaught of excellence delivered by Australia's First Families of Wine at last week's tasting. It's challenging to single out just one, but on the basis of both (vertical) label and contents, Jim Barry Clare Red Shiraz Cab '06 is tough to pass up. All Clare fruit. Bright berries on top, great backbone, integrated tannins, powerful finish -- and a steal at $29 BCLS.

Another Hadley Beauregard winner launched in partnership with Four Seasons Vancouver. Laughing Stock's latest ticker-tape chuckle is their first 2010 rosé, which comes with a more serious, still clever undertone. "In the Pink," made exclusively for Four Seasons Yew Restaurant, is a dry-finished 70-30 percent Syrah-Cabernet blend -- from which $2 of each bottle sold is donated to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. We also like winery owners Cynthia and David Enns' reminder that

"'In the Pink' is a financial expression that describes an investor or the economy as being in a good financial position or in the best of health." Catch them and their wines at their Laughing with Yew winemakers dinner, May 27; call 604-689-9333 for info.

Our last choice won't be released until summer (if and when it happens). But we're pretty sure that the evocatively named BS wines -- a collaboration between Okanagan Crush Pad's head winemaker Michael Bartier and OCP frontman and partner David Scholefield -- will garner plenty of attention. And will, very likely, be worth tasting.