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Before summer heat really settles in, here's some recommended relief.

The whites are on the crispy or off-dry side, the reds fruity to medium bodied. All are bargains at respective price points but the batch skews $15 and under because, well dang, when will this recession end?

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North Carolina wines

NV Skull Camp Anticipation ($13): An off-dry white wine and a new label from Round Peak Vineyards, named for the mountain behind the vineyard. By blending Muscat Canelli into Chardonnay, the summer white throws off pretty floral aromas and thirst-quenching peach, pear, apple, and guava flavors.

2006 Buck Shoals Bryan's Legacy ($12): Another thirst-quenching summer sipper. Buck Shoals positions this as their Riesling-styled wine, an off-dry white that is actually Viognier and unfermented Traminette blended back in.

2008 Dobbins Creek Riesling ($14): At 5 percent residual sugar, this is an unabashed dessert-styled white wine from one of the Yadkin Valley's newer wineries. Ripe red apple and lemon shine through. It's not unctuously sweet but the sugar levels are decidedly elevated.

2008 Surry Community College Petit Manseng ($15): A seductively silky white wine that oozes peach, apricot, lemon-lime and mango flavors and scents. Petit Manseng is a mutation of the Manseng grape found in parts of Spain and France. Surry Community College's viticulture program is probably one of the few on the east coast working with this obscure grape.

2008 Hanover Park Chardonnay ($15): Winemaker Michael Helton barrel fermented this Chard and its showing well in its youth. Apple, melon, pear and a hint of butter.

2008 Shadow Springs Vineyard Viognier ($17): A little more restrained than many domestic Viogniers, the Shadow Springs is showing orange blossom, light peach, and lemon-lime. It's a crisp white well suited to the summer months.

$10 and under

2006 Columbia Crest Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon ($8): An immediately approachable Cab from Washington State. Plum, currant, black cherry, and peppery spice.

2007 Yellow Tail Merlot ($8): That ubiquitous label from Australia seems the house pour at many restaurants -- and houses as well. For good reason. Gobs of plum, blue berry, and red cherry fruit are showcased.

2007 Nostrada Tempranillo ($9): From the Tarragona region of Spain comes this luscious, medium-bodied red sporting black cherry infused with an earthy-minerally quality.

2007 Hogue Gewurztraminer ($9): The Columbia Valley region of Washington State turns out great red and whites. This off-dry Gewurz shows the hallmark spiciness with layers of tropical fruit and aromas. Another summertime white that could serve as an aperitif.

2007 Veramonte Casablanca Valley Chardonnay Reserva ($10): From Chile comes a luscious style of Chard with melon, guava, pear and vanilla flavors and aromas.

2007 Perrin & Fils Cotes du Rhone White Reserve ($10): A French blend of Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, and a sprinkling of Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier. A nice summer sipper with citrus and peach flavors, a floral aroma and zesty minerality.

Under $14

2006 Bodegas Faustino Rioja VII ($12): A lighter-styled Spanish Rioja that shows a nice edge of raspberry, cherry, plum, herbs and mushroom. Riojas deliver the fruit but almost always bring an earthy quality and some oak to give it nice complexity.

2007 Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone-Villages ($12): From the French Rhone region, a fruit-forward style with dark cherry, blackberry, plum, coffee and pepper.

2008 Babich Sauvignon Blanc ($14): Surprisingly velvety finish for a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Abundant fruit, showcasing more pear and melon against the familiar citrus. Another winner from the Marlborough region.

2006 Barons De Rothschild (Lafite) Reserve Speciale ($14): An everyday Bordeaux? You betcha. Elegant dark fruit but with some tannic grip. A French blend of 70 percent Merlot and 30 percent Cabernet.

$18 and under

2008 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc ($15): New Zealand's signature grape is Sauvignon Blanc, the Marlborough region it's favorite haunt. Zingy grapefruit and lemon-lime make this crisp white a springtime favorite.

2006 Chateau Citran Haut-Medoc ($16): A medium-bodied red that is silkier and fruitier than one might expect from a young Bordeaux. Blackberry, chocolate, currant, and vanilla.

2006 Buehler Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($16) Complex flavors and aromas of peach, apple, vanilla, and magnolia. This California Chard hails from one of Sonoma's cooler grape growing regions.

2008 Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc Private Bin ($17): New Zealand's Villa Maria brand delivers consistently. Grapefruit, lemon-lime and a hint of marmelade with this crackling white.

Under $30

2007 Seghesio Zinfandel, Sonoma County ($23): The Seghesio family has been growing Zin for generations. Several tiers are offered, this one in the middle of the portfolio and widely available. The usual blackberry is augmented with peppery spice, smoke, herbs and plum. This is among the more full-throttled of Zins.

2006 Nieto Senetiner Bonarda Reserva ($27): Malbec gets all the attention but Argentina boasts a second signature red grape: Bonarda. This reserve bottling, culled from Mendoza region vineyards, is a sturdy red. Layers of blackberry, blueberry, and bacon keep echoing. Looking for an unusual red? Pick Bonarda.

2007 Neyers Carneros Chardonnay ($28): A complex California white with layers and layers of tropical fruit, lemon-lime, toast, and vanilla that keep echoing on the palate. A serious Chard for serious Chard enthusiasts.

2006 Zenato Valpolicella Superiore Ripassa ($28): Not at all the typical Italian Valpolicella. Special production methods take Ripassa-styled reds to another level. Plum, currant and coffee flavors and aromas give this a heft and fruitiness that will turn heads.

Ed Williams, Director of Public Information at Alamance Community College, has written about wine since 1990. This column publishes the first Wednesday of each month. If you have news of an event, e-mail williamsonwine@gmail.com at least 10 days prior to publication.