Nonsurly, nonsnobby sips for the end of summer

Two themes run consistently through much of the wine literature written during the past three decades.

One is the quest for value. As long ago as the late 1960s, writers were bemoaning the fact that prices for first-growth Bordeaux (Lafite, Latour, Margaux) were approaching the unheard-of double digits. Imagine that — $10 for a bottle of wine!

The other relentless chord being strummed is the assertion that the author of whatever book or article you happen to be reading is the only person on Earth who is not a wine snob! Out of the hundreds and hundreds of wine books published in the past 30 or 40 years — can you believe it — not one was written by a wine snob!

In a late-'70s "guide to good, inexpensive wine" titled "The Jug Wine Book," author Robert Burger tackles both themes with unusual gusto. To begin, Burger quotes an anonymous wine importer of the day (obviously one of the missing snobs) who had written this description of some Burgundies for sale from the Cote d'Or: "The 76's are now looking very withdrawn and sullen," the importer noted in his newsletter. Burger reports that Herb Caen, the brilliant columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, had this rejoinder: "When they turn surly, grab your Cote and head for the d'Or."

Good advice still. No surly wines should be on anyone's table in these glorious days of late summer. It's the right time of year to begin the pleasant transition from the chilled whites and rosés of July and August into the more substantial foods and wines of the harvest season. With that in mind, let me recommend the following wines, made by Scott Greer (of Sheridan Vineyard) for his Kamiakin label.

Greer's Sheridan Vineyard, a high-elevation site in the Yakima Valley, was planted a decade ago. A winery of the same name quickly followed, as Greer, who had a financial-services business in Seattle, found himself completely immersed in, and madly in love with, growing grapes and making wine.

"I didn't know how to drive a tractor, nothing about irrigation," he recalls. "The route I took was, you jump into the deep end of the pool and you either sink or swim." He swam. The Sheridan Vineyard has some high-profile neighbors, including the Two Blondes vineyard belonging to Chris Camarda (Andrew Will), and the Dineen vineyard that surrounds Sheridan's winery and tasting room. Greer manages two other vineyards, Dineen and Meek, in addition to his own.

The Sheridan wines are estate-bottled, and a severe barrel selection is made before the final blends are made. For those lots and barrels that are not quite ripe or rich enough for the Sheridan label, Greer has established a second label — Kamiakin. He uses fruit from the same three vineyards in these much-less-expensive wines. And here is where the best value wines of today differ radically from the good, inexpensive wines of 30 years ago.

In the past, a cheap wine might be made from almost anything except prime vineyard fruit. In California these wines included a lot of Central Valley grapes, some of them plain old Thompson seedless. In Washington today, even the least expensive wines use far better fruit, and always from vinifera (European varietal) grapes.

Kamiakin wines, for example, get the same care, and come from the same excellent vineyards, as the super premium Sheridan wines. No sullen wines these, they come, says Greer, from younger vineyard blocks, and are priced at less than half the cost of the Sheridan wines. They are, in fact, so good that they might even have snob appeal.

Kamiakin 2007 White Wine; $14. This sauvignon blanc/semillon blend, from Sheridan and Dineen fruit, is stainless-steel-fermented but carries some lovely spice and toasty notes along with soft, broadly fruity flavors of melon and citrus.

Kamiakin 2006 Red Wine; $14. My Pick of the Week.

Kamiakin 2006 Merlot; $16. There is nothing wimpy about this 100-percent merlot. The firm core of tart berry and currant adds iron and clove highlights through a concentrated mid-palate; only the finish, which is a bit rough and hints at green tannins, suggests that this is not the high-end bottling.

Kamiakin 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon; $18. Sweet berry flavors are matched to darker notes of smoke, black olive and moist earth, softening out in a finish that tastes like chocolate malt.

Kamiakin 2005 Syrah; $18. Pure syrah, this is the most limited of the Kamiakin wines (in terms of production), but in many respects the star of the show. Peppery, racy and concentrated, it's packed with blueberry, kirsch and cassis. The finish is laced with coffee liqueur flavors, suggesting a far more expensive, barrel-aged wine.

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