In the heat of summer, grape vines show off deep green against the long, dry grass along Cox's Rock vineyard near the Klamath Mountains in Southern Oregon. The vineyard produces grapes for Abacela Vineyards, one of the region's up-and-coming wineries.

Like Washington, Oregon's total number of wineries is approaching 200, but just 17 of them, mostly small and unknown outside the region, comprise the Southern Oregon Winery Association (SOWA). They have a little bit of a chip on their collective shoulder, given the pinot-centric image of Oregon wines; and something of an identity crisis, too. "We're striving to be different," says René Eichmann, whose Bridgeview Vineyards makes 100,000 cases of wine a year. "Our pinots will always show different from those of the Willamette Valley."

In truth, everything about southern Oregon wineries is different from the more familiar faces up north. Almost every important wine grape in the world is grown here — even zinfandel!

Two-thirds of SOWA wineries are in the Rogue Valley appellation, which begins a bit north of Grants Pass and runs almost to the California border. It is really three distinct regions.

The Bear Creek Valley, centered around Medford/Ashland, is dry and high. The growers here favor Bordeaux varietals. There is also quite a bit of syrah, while chardonnay and pinot gris account for most of the white-wine grapes. The best-known winery is Weisinger's, just minutes from downtown Ashland. (Shakespeare Festival visitors note: They have a swell rentable cottage in the vineyard.) A longtime grower, Paschal, has a new tasting room and winery a few miles up the road in the aptly-named town of Talent.

A Case Study From southern Oregon, 12 worth trying: Girardet 2001 Riesling ($8). An elegant, fairly soft wine, tasting of apples, pears and citrus blossoms. Henry Estate 2001 Muller-Thurgau ($9). A low-alcohol white, with intense citrus, spicy floral flavors. Bridgeview 2000 "Blue Moon" Chardonnay ($10). A very popular style of chardonnay, butterscotch wrapped around ripe fruit. Foris 2000 Gewurztraminer ($11). Classic varietal nose with citrus blossom, baby powder and lychee; clean and creamy floral flavors. Foris 2000 Pinot Gris ($13.50). Fresh and lively, with crisp acids and a mouth-pleasing roundness to the fruit. Paschal 2000 Pinot Blanc ($16). A stylish wine with lovely textures and pretty nuances of honey and tea. Girardet 2000 Petite Cuvée Pinot Noir ($12). This affordable pinot shows ripe cherry flavors and a bit of earthiness in the finish. Abacela 1999 Syrah ($27). Intense, spicy, fruity, with a long finish. Abacela 1999 Tempranillo ($29). A wild clover scent, and very tart, very dark and potent fruit, structured to age. Valley View 1999 Anna Maria Syrah ($30). Sweet, grapey flavors of plum and cherry, enhanced with peppery spice. River's Edge 2000 "Black Oak Vineyard" Pinot Noir ($30). Jammy blackberry fruit, followed by smoky, spicy chocolate. Griffin Creek 1999 Pinot Noir ($35). This vivid wine displays pure cherry/berry fruit, enlivened with sassafras and toasty oak.

Farther west is the Applegate Valley, now a sub-appellation within the Rogue Valley and home to Valley View Winery, with its new tasting room. The Applegate also grows a lot of merlot and cabernet sauvignon, along with a fair amount of syrah and chardonnay. Most unusual is an acre of zinfandel at Troon Vineyard, where the sign reads "Druid Fluid Factory."

The third and most distinctive part of the Rogue Valley is the farthest west. Here the Illinois Valley runs smack into the Siskiyou Mountains. The cool climate lets growers focus on pinot noir, pinot gris, chardonnay, riesling and gewurztraminer. The white wines often achieve a lovely, floral elegance. The two biggest wineries, Foris and Bridgeview, are a hop, skip and a burp apart. Since there is an Applegate sub-appellation, why not one for the Illinois? Too confusing, says Bridgeview's Eichmann. "Most people would wonder what part of Chicago are we in!"

A different dilemma faces the wineries of the Umpqua Valley, which make up the remaining third of the SOWA membership. Umpqua is not the sort of name that inspires tourists or menu writers — "may we suggest a rambunctious little Umpqua with your foie gras?" — and so a movement is afoot to get a southern Oregon appellation that supercedes everything else.

The Umpqua-ians occupy Oregon's midsection, north of the Rogue and south of the Willamette. The wineries here are an eclectic lot. Hillcrest Vineyard, planted in 1961, is the oldest winery in Oregon. Girardet was started a decade later, and makes up to five different pinots as well as such oddities as baco noir and marechal-foch. La Garza is a cabernet sauvignon specialist, while Henry Estate, the best-known winery in the region, can also boast of inventing the Scott Henry system of trellising, now used by wineries worldwide. If you're in luck, the senior Henry himself will show you a thing or two about tying up grapevines.

Abacela Vineyards caught my attention a couple years ago with their premier releases, which included Oregon's first tempranillo and dolcetto. These are sensational wines, whose quality has been reaffirmed by subsequent vintages. They also point to a new direction for southern Oregon wineries, away from their somewhat quixotic fixation on merlot.

All of southern Oregon is jaw-droppingly beautiful. In three days you can visit throughout the region, taking time for culture Ashland-style or some antiquing in Talent and Jacksonville. Not all these wines are distributed in Washington, but federal law allows the wineries to ship them here directly. Check the association Web site (www.sorwa.org) or call 1-800-781-9463 for a free brochure.

Paul Gregutt is a freelance writer, author of "Northwest Wines" and regular contributor to The Seattle Times' Wednesday Wine pages. His e-mail address is indelible@aol.com.