When it comes to buying art, I am told by friends with significant collections that you should follow a recognised artist or artists. Better still, before they become famous and unaffordable you should try and anticipate who will be the "next big thing" - the ideal being that what you like and can afford becomes highly prized.
Wine slips easily into a similar category. Often to avoid disappointment, the rule is to find a reliable producer whose wines you enjoy and can afford, then stick with them.
The downside here is that of the 700 or so local producers, there may be some taste sensations you'll never discover. Being cautious and conservative has its own rewards but it can also be boring and one dimensional.
With this in mind, it's always exciting to discover a producer who sits beneath the radar, turning out superb wines that are usually snapped up by a small discerning group of loyal subjects. I don't wish to blow their cover but the wines are so impressive they deserve a wider audience and this column exists to help unearth those gems.
Step forward then, Waipara's Mountford Estate, which has been making jaw-dropping wines for almost 20 years without too much fanfare. The blind Taiwanese-born winemaker, C.P. Lin, is on to his 15th vintage and at the top of his game. Bio-dynamic methods are used in the vineyard and grapes for the high-end pinot noirs, "The Gradient" and "The Rise", are pressed by foot.
