For those of us lucky enough to live in wine country, which now includes every nook and corner of Washington state, there is special pleasure in new discoveries.

Just last summer I toured the newly minted Columbia Cascade region, a broad triangle roughly defined by Leavenworth, Wenatchee and Chelan, and visited a couple-dozen new wineries, most of them less than 5 years old. Every six months or so, a trip to Walla Walla introduces me to eight or 10 newcomers to that tightknit wine community. Closer to home, Woodinville is positively vibrating with new winery construction and ambitious, multi-use, wine-related projects. From Port Angeles to the Columbia Gorge, Paterson to Oroville, Seattle to Spokane, the state's wine industry is in an explosive growth mode. It now includes more than 300 wineries and another 300-plus vineyards.

A great way to explore the depth and breadth of all this activity is at Taste Washington, an annual April showcase for Washington wines (April 8-10, Seattle). It's a three-day affair that includes an education day with nonstop seminars.

When I was asked to come up with a topic for two seminars, my immediate thought was to showcase a hand-picked selection of the best, newest, smallest and by-and-large unknown wineries in the state.

"What are the cult wines of tomorrow?" I wondered. So many of today's superstars started super-small: Leonetti, Quilceda Creek, Andrew Will and many others. Who might be out there today, making wine in a warehouse, selling a few hundred cases by mailing list and word-of-mouth?

With the assistance of the Washington Wine Commission, I pulled together a tasting of wines submitted by wineries whose total annual production is under 1,000 cases. Some 30 wineries submitted 45 wines, which were separated into five groups (blends, syrahs, merlots, cabernets and other), brown-bagged, and tasted blind.

TOM SKEEN / WALLAWALLA UNION-BULLETIN, 2003 Roger Gamache inspects buds on a peach tree near the family's vineyards in Franklin County.

From this tasting I settled upon 10 wines and wineries that will be featured in the two seminars. Since these wineries are so small, and quantities of the wines are severely limited, I want to give readers a head start on finding them, or their siblings, so I'll profile them this week and the next.

If you enjoy the thrill of hunting for the next big wine discovery — long before the national press finds it, and in many instances before anyone but the neighbors know about it — you'll find some good leads here.

Baer 2002 Arctos ($32)

Baer Winery made its first wine, Ursa, in 2000, working out of a tiny apartment and some rented space in another winery. Now relocated to 6.5 acres in northern Woodinville, the winery specializes in a pair of blended reds named Ursa and Arctos. Moderate but consistent growth has brought total production up from 200 cases initially to around 850 cases of the newly released 2002s. Projections call for production to reach its maximum capacity of about 1200 cases in 2003 and 2004.

Vineyard sources have evolved with each vintage: Alder Ridge in '00 and '01; Stillwater Creek and Elerding in '02; Stillwater, Boushey and Ciel du Cheval in '03; all Stillwater in '04.

2002 is the first vintage for Arctos, predominantly cabernet sauvignon with merlot and cab franc making up the rest. Much as I admire the Ursa, this Arctos seems to up the flavors a notch, with dark, thick fruit and a rich, toasty finish.

Just 305 cases were made. The official release date for both wines is March 26, and on that date the winery will hold an open house for customers placing advance orders. The winery recommends that interested buyers contact them at 425-483-7060, or sign up for their mailing list online at www.baerwinery.com.

Donedéi 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon ($37.50)

Donedéi is the label name for the wines of Gibbons Lane Winery, founded in 1997 in Tenino, just south of Olympia. According to winemaker Carolyn Lakewold, the name translates as "gift of God." No one can accuse this tiny winery of lacking in confidence!

Beginning in 1999, a few hundred cases have been produced each year, roughly one third of them merlot, the other two-thirds cabernet. Production now hovers between 750 and 1,000 cases annually "depending on the whims of nature" according to the winery's Web site.

The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon includes a bit of merlot and cab franc in the blend, with grapes from several Red Mountain vineyards. I think it's the best effort to date, with firm, muscular fruit and good layering of flavors, much like a mountain-grown Napa cab.

For sales and information on new releases contact the winery at 360-264-8466; it is open by appointment only.

Fielding Hills 2002 Syrah ($28)

Fielding Hills is headquartered in an orchard in East Wenatchee, on a spectacular site overlooking the river. The first wines were made in 2000, with grapes from the Riverbend vineyard in Mattawa, which winery owners Mike and Karen Wade planted in 1998. Total production is limited to a few hundred cases and the focus is on red wines: merlot, cabernet, syrah and a blend of the three called Riverbend Red.

I first found these wines on a trip through Columbia Cascade country last summer. In several subsequent tastings, I have been extremely impressed by the balance, clarity, definition and complexity they show. Any of the Fielding Hills wines would be a great candidate for a rising-star tasting, but the syrah seems like a great choice because there are so many excellent syrahs made in Washington, yet this one really stands out.

The fruit is young and spicy, with good peppery character, and there is plenty of new oak, but not so much that the natural expression of the grape is buried.

Wines may be purchased directly by calling 509-884-2221.

Gamache Vintners 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon ($28)

Gamache is so new that it is not even listed in the latest edition of the Washington Wine Commission's guide. This cabernet, the winery's first release under its own label, comes from the estate vineyards located north of Pasco in the White Bluff area. These were first planted by Bob and Roger Gamache in 1982; the cabernet vines producing this wine are 18 years old. Gamache grapes have usually gone to Stimson Lane, but beginning in 2002, an estate winemaking project had begun.

That first year, a few hundred cases of cabernet were made under the supervision of Charlie Hoppes, who also guides the winemaking at Fidélitas, Goose Ridge and Cañon de Sol. A 2003 Gamache syrah will be bottled next month, and a 2003 cabernet is in barrel. There are even rumors of a joint, super-premium wine project, blending grapes from Gamache and Champoux. The current releases may be ordered directly from the winery. To be placed on the mailing list, the winery requests that you contact them via their Web site at www.gamachevintners.com.

Seia 2003 "Clifton Hill" Syrah ($22)

Seia (SAY-yuh), says this brand-new producer, "is the Roman goddess of things planted in the ground." Like grapes! This syrah — officially released on March 1 — is the debut vintage for the tiny, Seattle-based winery, which also makes a bit of Pepper Bridge vineyard cabernet.

Grapes come from the Clifton Hill vineyard, one of the Wahluke slope properties managed by the Milbrandt brothers. It's an excellent site that also provided the grapes for double-gold-medal winner Chatter Creek's 2002 syrah.

Seia's Robert Spalding believes that single-vineyard wines best express the concept of terroir. This 2003 syrah does that well, with sweet black-cherry fruit anchoring a tight, nicely textured wine.

Just 75 cases were made, and sales are being done through mailing-list customers exclusively. Contact the winery by e-mail (info@seiawines.com), or call: 206-250-9095.

For more information on the other events and seminars being offered at Taste Washington (April 8-10), visit www.tastewashington.org, or call 206-667-9463, Ext. 200.

Paul Gregutt is the author of "Northwest Wines." His column appears weekly in the Wine section. He can be reached by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com.