It has been my experience that finding exceptional wines at prices below others of comparable quality is harder to do than to find high quality wines at market prices. But the quest for exceptional values is a continuing one. Here are a number of sources.

The Big Players - It is no secret that many of the best values come from the state's largest wineries. Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest are prime examples. The vast acreage of vines and economies of scale (the Paterson winery has a three million case capacity) enable this combination to produce fine wines at attractive prices. The September issue of the Review of Washington Wines will include attractively priced wines from the Canoe Ridge (Horse Heaven Hills) and Cold Creek (with some of the oldest vines in the state). With Gallo's acquisition, Columbia Winery has positioned itself as a producer of solid value wines. Precept Brand's Waterbrook and Canoe Ridge (reviewed in April) also turn out fine values.

The Niche Wineries - There are a number of small wineries that turn out very nice, well-priced wines. By buying fruit directly from growers, crafting the wines themselves and self marketing them, they can deliver high quality/price ratios. Thurston Wolfe produces wines from the Zephyr Ridge Vineyard on the Horse Heaven Hills that can offer great value (see the January and August issues). Another is Kevin White who turns out terrific Rhone style wines for their prices (the 2012's to be reviewed in October). Savage Grace (Michael Savage) also produces high quality/price ratios (reviewed March). As a producer exclusively of sparkling wines, Treveri Cellars has been turning out excellent bubblies for $20 or less (reviews to come in September and November). Another specialist, Waitsburg Cellars, makes fine whites called "The Aromatics" and red blends, under the direction of wine writer, Paul Gregutt (reviewed August). Lagana Cellars (Jason Fox) is another white specialist (reviewed August).

The Negociants - There are some distributors and winemakers who run sidelines in buying surplus wines from various sources and bottling them under their own labels. Trey Busch (Sleight of Hand) is one of the first to come to mind. His Renegade Wine Co. wines usually come out for under $15 a bottle (most recently, the 2013 Rosé and 2012 Grenache, reviewed in April). Another is For a Song, a brand owned by Vinum Importing (see the July issue). Full Pull & Friends is Paul Zitarelli's foray into premium negociant wines that offer exceptional value (19/20 points for under $30 on the August issue).

Inventory Reduction Deals - Say a winery has a particular wine it wants to move because it isn't selling as well as it would like, or is moving into another vintage. Then the price gets reduced, making the wine an even greater value. Here are some deals I found in Esquin's on-line August newsletter: 2012 Walla Walla Vintners Sangiovese $18.99, regular $25 (18.5 points, February), 2012 L'Ecole No. 41 Semillon $11.99, regular $15 (18+ points, November 2013), 2012 Maison Bleue "Au Contraire" Chardonnay $18.99, regular $25 (19 points, February).

So there are a lot of ways to get the biggest bang for the buck in shopping for wine. By looking around, a savy consumer can save a lot of money.