Here's a roundup of wines that are perfect for simple summer meals, and easy on the wallet. Where possible, I've noted the distributor's name in parenthesis.

Pine & Post 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon; $5 . This is the same Pine & Post that put out the excellent merlot and chardonnay a few months back. Somehow, they've managed a hat trick at the five-buck price point. This Washington-grown cabernet is not your standard cabernet by any means — my notes mention strong tobacco aromas, cigarette ash, cherry tobacco, smoke. It's a great pizza wine, and oddly reminiscent of cheap Chianti, one of my secret pleasures.

Elsa 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon; $9. From a high-altitude vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina, this earthy, tannic, herbal wine is set up perfectly for flank steak or tri-tip. It's medium-bodied, with restrained fruit flavors that lean more heavily on earth and herb than most domestic cabs. Elsa also makes a good malbec, comparably priced. The two would make an interesting tandem at your next burger bash. (Alaska)

Bogle Vineyards 2005 Chardonnay; $9. Bogle is one of California's best bargain brands. Here's a smooth, lightly tropical chardonnay, very much in the style of Columbia Crest. Lush and tasting of banana and pineapple, it doesn't try to fool you with loads of sugar and vanilla, just clean, ripe fruit.

Red Truck 2004 Red Blend; $9. This mutt red is old reliable when it comes to taking a comfy ride down a road well-paved with fruit, licorice and chocolate candy. California drinking at its finest. (Alaska)

Castle Rock 2005 Pinot Noir; $10. Castle Rock, whose Columbia Valley cabernet has been on my recommended list for the past year, has a fine stable mate in this Columbia Valley pinot noir. Now granted, Washington state, good as it is, has never distinguished itself with pinot noir. But this bargain juice has plenty of pretty raspberry and cherry candy flavors, the kind of simple, pleasing fruit that could just as easily be labeled merlot. By any name, it's a good bottle for whiling away a summer afternoon. (Elliott Bay)

Robert Karl 2005 Sauvignon Blanc; $12. Toasty and stylish, this 100 percent varietal wine is mostly barrel fermented in new French oak. The Spokane winery piles on flavors of toasted coconut, melon, custard pie, light tropical fruit and hints of buttered toast. The quality far exceeds the price. (Grape Expectations)

Pick of the week

Sawtooth 2004 Skyline Red; $9. This Idaho winery, part of Corus Estates & Vineyards group, is doing very good work across the entire lineup. Most impressively, it is using estate-grown grapes, not sneaking across the border and buying fruit in Washington. This mutt blend really has a little bit of everything — syrah, cab, merlot, tempranillo, cab franc, cinsault and — get this — primativo (would that be zinfandel?). Dark, spicy, toasty, smoky and loaded with licorice, clove and espresso, it's got all the bells and whistles blowing at once. (Distributed by Unique.)

Angove's 2005 Red Belly Black Chardonnay; $12. Well, they've finally hit the bottom of the animal barrel in Australia (is wombat really taken?) and started naming wines for snakes. Red Belly Black's reptilian origins aside, it's a nice quaff, melon, nectarine, lemon and pineapple, bright and sassy. (Young's-Columbia)

San Juan Vineyards 2004 Pinot Gris; $13. This well-made gris (grapes are from the Columbia Gorge) offers fresh apple flavors with suggestions of honey and lemon. Call it the archetypical summer seafood wine.

Chatter Creek 2005 Grenache; $16. Chatter Creek's Gordon Rawson is doing some lovely things with Rhone grapes. Particularly good are his aromatic viognier and this young, fruity grenache. The blend includes a good portion of syrah and a splash of mourv�dre, and the lightly spicy, plum and cranberry flavors emulate a simple Cotes du Rhone. Bring on the burgers. (Elliott Bay)

Alexandria Nicole 2005 Viognier; $16. Another nicely made viognier for this up-and-coming Prosser winery, the third in a row. Vivid acids define lemon-drop fruit flavors; it's a clean, juicy style, with lip-smacking acids. (Vehrs)

DeLoach 2004 Russian River Chardonnay; $16. Now part of Boisset America, and blessed with a remarkably talented new winemaker (Greg La Follette, most recently of Flowers), DeLoach is back, and this creamy, tasty chardonnay is a great place to get re-acquainted with the brand. Toasted coconut, banana-cream pie, pineapple upside-down cake ... yum yum. (Noble)

To finish up this summer case, see the Pick of the Week.

Question for sommeliers

I'm looking for Seattle-area restaurants (also Yakima and Walla Walla) that allow wine lovers to bring in wines for no (or a very low) corkage fee. Do you qualify? Have any other wine "deals" such as a half-price bottle night? Clue me in c/o wine@seattletimes.com.

Paul Gregutt can be reached by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com

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