The last of the 2002 apples are being sorted and put in bins and boxes at the many retail apple barns in Camino, El Dorado County. There's also another harvest winding down on Apple Hill. This one has to do with wine grapes. Instead of winding up boxes and bins, this fruit is being crushed, with the juice flowing into steel tanks and oak barrels. The big difference between the fruits of the two harvests in the Sierra foothills about 20 miles east of Placerville is the mass movement of Northern Californians to the apples, with most not understanding there is an outstanding crop of grapes nearby.

Case in point is Madrona Vineyards. Located near the end of High Hill Road, the winery and its estate vineyards sit just yards from High Hill Ranch, a popular apple stop. Weekend visitors must survive a downtown San Francisco-like traffic jam to reach the tasting room. My wife, our daughter and I did last weekend, and the effort was worth it. Madrona Vineyards is a hidden jewel that needs a polishing once in a while to find its brilliance. We came to taste and review the 1999 El Dorado Syrah Reserve ($20 a bottle) and came away also impressed by a couple of Zinfandels. The Syrah, a Rhone red wine, has become the region's signature variety. El Dorado County Syrahs have been recognized for their balance of sugars and acids, great aroma and intense flavors. The vines have the advantage of mineral soils, steep slopes, sunshine and long growing seasons. Madrona Vineyard's second generation of owners, Paul and Maggie Bush, farm some of the highest elevation vineyards in the county at more than 3,000 feet. Paul Bush finds nook and crannies on his estate vineyard for his 40 acres of Syrah grapes, much of it that he sells off to other wineries each year. "We like you (the consumer) to drink the style of the area," Paul Bush says. His style is a thicker, richer and more full-bodied Syrah than is the norm. Instead of just a burst of blackberry flavor, Madrona's Syrah also has tastes of smoke, oak and broiled steak, with hints of chocolate in the finish. Paul Bush says he is able to make his Syrahs more complex by aging them for 16 months in French oak and blending in a combined 3 percent of Mouvedre and Merlot.

The key, though, is the Syrah.

"I try to capture the characteristics of the grape before there is too much flavor," Bush says of why he harvests his grapes before they are too ripe. Madrona Vineyards have earned notable accolades for its Zinfandel. The 2000 El Dorado County Zinfandel ($14) won gold medals at the California State Fair and the Calaveras County Fair and silver medals at the Los Angeles County Fair and the El Dorado County Fair. The 2000 Zinfandel is pungent and fruity with a snappy spice flavor in the finish. I detected a strong alcoholic-like taste that might dissuade some from enjoying this wine. The 1999 El Dorado County Reserve Zinfandel ($20) also is rich in fruit flavors, but has a softer finish and appears to be better balanced. Paul and Maggie Bush look beyond their vineyards and see the apple crowd every fall. Slowly, they're winning over some of them, who have discovered that there are more than apples on Apple Hill.

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To reach Jack Eddy about his column, Cheers from the Vineyard, which runs weekly in Our Town, call him at 830-4233, fax to 835-0655 or send an e-mail to: jwe@tracypress.com.