Have you looked at the Surly Cross Check? That comes in at a little under $1k, but doesn't have disc brakes. (I'd call disc brakes a definite nice-to-have but not an absolute must-have for wet weather.)

If you really want disc brakes and can find a little more wiggle room in your budget (like roughly $200), both the Kona Sutra and the LeMond Poprad are worth checking out. I've seen the Sutra priced right at $1200 locally (I'm in Seattle), and the Poprad at $1159.

I've not seen the Dew Drop before, but it looks pretty sweet on the web site (http://www.konaworld.com/09_dewdrop_en.cfm). What's the price point like on that?