There is nothing wrong with the fact that wineries, such as Colgin Cellars, Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle and others, bring extremely high prices at auction, especially because most of the proceeds raised from such sales usually go to charity. What is wrong is that people are lining up to place their names on waiting lists for these boutique wines as if there were no other choices. Allow me to burst your bubble: There are great wines out there that have yet to be accorded cult status. Better yet, you won't have several birthdays while waiting to buy them.

In California, there is no hard and fast recipe for success. What Colgin so nicely demonstrates is the irrelevance of having your own chateau-like winery and estate-owned vineyards. For now, proprietor Ann Colgin has neither, but she does have the esteemed Helen Turley as winemaking consultant. Harlan Estate, on the other hand, owns well-sited vineyards, but its fame confirms you don't need to have a Turley on your team.

Several new wineries emerged last year with first vintage offerings that have every bell, whistle and requisite ton of new oak needed to be deemed collectible. Also, a few other wineries, in a holding pattern for a few vintages, broke away from the pack in 1998 to become, in my eyes, real stars.

Lail Vineyards, a new label with a lot of history, may well become an overnight sensation. Proprietor Robin Daniel Lail, co-founder of both Merryvale and Dominus, is also a descendent of the Daniel family that owned Inglenook during the 1940s and '50s. The 1995 J. Daniel Cuvée ($60), a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, was given the royal cellar treatment and aged in bottle for 16 months. Some of the fruit came from a family vineyard that was part of the Inglenook estate. Phone: (707) 967-0707

The Cabernet made by the Robert Craig Wine Cellars, a small, family-owned brand, may also be deserving of cult status. Winemaker Robert Craig's long apprenticeship in the Napa Valley with Hess and other wineries has paid off. He is making stunning wines in great, good and ordinary vintages, and he is a master of finesse and balance with mountain-grown cabernet. In both 1994 and '95, his Cabs from Howell Mountain ($34) and Mt. Veeder ($32) ranked among my all-time favorites. Phone: (707) 252-2250

Pahlmeyer strikes me as yet another winery about to hit the big-time. Other than the fact that quality is first and foremost at every level, Jayson Pahlmeyer also has Helen Turley on his payroll, and she is putting her all into Pahlmeyer's Merlot. Both the 1995 and '96 ($60) rank among my top five Merlot in each vintage. As yet, there is no particular California Merlot that has collectors butting heads, so it is only a matter of time. Right now, with its voluptuous, silky-textured, enormously concentrated Merlot, Pahlmeyer has the inside track. Phone: (707) 255-2321

Galante Vineyards, a small winery in Carmel Valley, broke loose from the pack with the 1996 vintage, offering three knock-your-socks-off Cabernet Sauvignons. The Red Rose Hill ($25) and Blackjack Pasture ($35) display pleasingly rich terroir, while the estate-grown Rancho Galante Cabernet ($18) offers pure varietal fruit, concentration and power. Galante may remain a sleeper for a little while longer, mainly because it falls within a tiny appellation with only the rock-solid Bernardus lending support. Phone: (800) Galante

Newcomer Claus Janzen is betting the farm on a Super-Tuscan-style California wine enhanced with a shot of petite sirah. Seemingly, the blend is a real gamble, but somehow Janzen has maneuvered Bacio Divino to the threshold of cult status. Made with about 65 percent cabernet sauvignon, 25 percent sangiovese and about 10 percent petite sirah, he suspects petite sirah is what makes the blend come together. The 1995 Bacio Divino ($50), handsomely oaked and bursting with lush cherry, plum and spice, proves he has truly discovered something special. Phone: (707) 942-8101

Other wines worth keeping an eye on fall under an interesting group of new labels developed by battle-hardened winemakers.

David Ramey, who has long wanted his own brand, is finally out with a super-concentrated, major league Carneros Chardonnay from the Hyde Vineyard ($45) under the Ramey Wine Cellars label. After working for a decade with Matanzas Creek, Ramey went on to revive Chalk Hill, leaving in 1996 to breathe new life into Dominus. Now at Rudd Estate, Ramey's personal project was encouraged by Leslie Rudd. Phone: (707) 944-8577

Similarly, John Kongsgaard, who made a name for himself at Newton Vineyard, has put his name on his own wine. His 1996 Chardonnay ($50), made by traditional Burgundian methods, comes from a small vineyard planted by the Kongsgaards in 1979. Fax: (707) 963-4512

Consummate professional Merry Edwards, whose illustrious winemaking career has taken her from Mount Eden to Matanzas Creek, to Laurier to Liparita and a dozen others, has established the Meredith Vineyard in partnership with Bill Bourke. From this 24-acre site in the Russian River Valley, she is focusing on pinot noir, her favorite variety. Bottled under the Merry Edwards label, the first wines will appear in June - one from Russian River Valley and the second from Olivet Lane Vineyard. Phone: (707) 887-8644

I suggest those hellbent on collecting great, hard-to-find California wines get on the preferred customer lists of these rising stars before the rush begins.

Contributing Editor Norm Roby has reported on the West Coast wine scene for two decades. He publishes the Guide to Winery Direct Wines, a multimedia wine consumer journal that can be found at www.robywine.com.