If you want to explore wine and taste selections from a range of regions, joining a wine club is a terrifically convenient way to do those things. The wine club business is more competitive than ever, with myriad choices that offer very different experiences. I first wrote this article several years ago, yet the complexion of the wine club business continues to evolve. This most recent update reviews nine different clubs, each with an interesting angle for wine lovers.

After quizzing them on everything from their return policies to their shipping challenges, I’ve come to view the better ones as akin to a relationship with a good wine retailer. These are the clubs that want you to call with questions and these are the clubs that put tremendous effort into your wine education — -stuffing your shipments with newsletters and full-page descriptions of the wine, the winemaker, and the region as well as recipes to try. Most clubs also offer discounts on re-orders and allow you to cancel at any time. A select few will accept returns of any wine you didn’t like.

If you club isn’t doing at least some of these things you might want to revisit your membership. After reviewing all of the information, clubs such as Gold Medal and International Wine of the Month deliver the most versatile, well-vetted offerings that will please both the novice and the expert wine drinker. And yet, each club has its own “style” — hopefully this story will guide your decision-making — -clubs are listed in no particular order.

Gold Medal Wine Club — -Gold Medal has been in business for 23 years and, according to co-owner and CEO David Chesterfield, the focus is on “consistent, high-level quality wines at exceptional prices with an emphasis on small-production, family-owned or individually-owned wineries whose wines are not easily found in the marketplace — if at all.” Chesterfield (who also serves as a professional wine judge) and a small team of experts taste the wines under consideration for inclusion.

The club offers six different membership options. My personal favorite was the International Series (starts at $75 and for an additional $24.95 includes a selection of gourmet food finds from the featured region). The series includes a thorough write-up of the region, winery and winemaker along with a list of interesting facts. I also have to give this club a shout out for clever packaging, especially if you are going the gift route. Bottles arrive wrapped in swanky organza bags inside an artist-commissioned box lid.

Chesterfield cites the Gold Series as, “the most popular in terms of the number of members and it is also the most popular Series for gift giving.” The Diamond Series is the top-end program with every wine rated a minimum of 93+ points. No cost to join, cancel at any time.

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International Wine of the Month Club — -Established in 1994, this club takes “special pride in focusing on wine as a global product,” as President and Founder Kris Calef notes. “We embrace the idea of wine without borders, and enjoy the opportunity to build interest among our members for wine regions and grape varietals they may never have previously tried.” Arguably, this club has one of the most layered and intensive vetting processes for wine –using what they call a “two-tiered panel system.” The first pass is a tasting done by the company experts; the second pass is a large tasting of 30 to 40 people (from experts to casual drinkers). The winning wines are the “gems that are widely (and wildly) popular among a broad group of wine drinkers.”

Calef recommends first-timers start with the club’s Original Premier Series, as it “focuses on wines which deliver very high quality and enjoyment despite modest prices, thus providing tremendous value.” (two bottles, $47.95 including shipping).

The Original Wine of the Month Club — This wine club specializes in tasty wines of great value. Owner Paul Kalemkiarian likes to remind people that this club has been in operation since 1972, making it the nation’s oldest mail-order wine club. Selections are made by Paul — through a demanding tasting process that requires him to sample roughly 250 wines a month (something he’s been doing since 1988). “All of the wines we sell are available somewhere other than just on our site; it’s my job to find wines of quality and value and send them to members. And, you never pay for a wine you don’t like in our club.” The Classic Series is ideal for a beginning wine lover — Kalemkiarian suggests the Limited Series for those with a more educated palate. Membership is free, cancel anytime and shipments come with a comprehensive newsletter detailing the story of the wine as well as tasting notes.

Winestyr: Winestyr officially started in 2011, and most of the work was spent sourcing hard-to-find wines. The first shipments went out in the fall of 2015 and in 2016 they opened a Chicago-based showroom to represent the wine club and host winemakers. The singular focus of this club is to source very small-production offerings that will likely never appear on store shelves. CEO and Co-Founder Robert Wilson argues that “There is no reason the entire country can’t have incredible access to these incredible vineyards and producers.” Some of their top finds include 2013 Matthiasson Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2013 Gros Ventre Campbell Ranch Vineyard Pinot Noir, and 2014 Paix Sur Terre Ugni Blanc.

Plonk Wine Club is the brainchild of Etty Lewensztain (named by Wine & Spirits Magazine as a Top New Talent in the Wine World). If you love a wine adventure, then this is the club for you. Plonk’s playful “let’s explore” wine approach means you’ll get interesting varietals from diverse regions. A recent shipment featured a Malbec from France’s Cahors and a Spatburgunder Rosé Trocken (dry Pinot Noir rose) from Pfalz Germany. The wines were delightful, but indeed not what you’d typically find in retail. Tasting notes, recipes and food pairings are provided for each wine, and discounts on re-orders. Unlike other clubs, memberships are prepaid (and non-refundable) for a duration of 3, 6, or 12 months. She does offer a 100% money-back guarantee on any wines you don’t love.

Blue Apron Wine: This offering is from the Blue Apron meal kit service — and members are not obligated to order meal kits (but the wine/meal pairings are a nice bonus). Blue Apron Wine delivers a monthly selection of six wines in a 2/3 bottle format (500 mL). Members can select all reds, all whites or a mixture. The allure of this club is the smaller bottle size — which means more wines for you to sample, and the bottle price averages $10, so a monthly shipment runs $65.99 per month (plus tax). Most of their selections are New World and they work directly with winemakers which helps to reduce final bottle cost to members.

FatCork Wine Club: This is THE club for anyone with a weakness for Champagne — -and grower Champagne at that. Every bottle is hand-selected by founders and owners Bryan and Abby Maletis. The club delivers unique, one-of-a-kind bottlings from smaller growers, who, in addition to making their own Champagne, provide fruit to the bigger Champagne houses. The Maletis’ especially deep connections in the Champagne region allow the couple to exclusively import some of the most intriguing and special bubblies in the world, and you won’t see any of these bottles on your local store shelves. They also do an amazing job of providing supporting Champagne-drinking materials (glassware, stoppers, bags for chilling, spiritwear and of course a Champagne thermos). They’ve thought of everything — -and memberships run from two to six bottles per month, starting at $99, including shipping. Because they act as sole importers, you can purchase wines from the site directly — -with vintages dating back to 1996 and everything from brut to rose options you will most certainly find something wonderful.

Uncorked Ventures — -This club focuses exclusively on wines from California, Washington, and Oregon. Based just north of San Francisco, the club launched in 2010 and founders Matt Krause and Mark Aselstine point to their personal relationships and regular visits with winemakers in those states as the reason they can source smaller-lot wines with minimal distribution.

In reviewing the offerings for the mid-range selections, which runs $95 per shipment plus shipping, I noted three wines (from Paul Hobbs, Stonestreet, and Sojourn) that I’d argue could be found through a local retailer in your state. But, the whole point behind a wine club is not having to drive to the store and figure out what you want. The wines they offer are of high quality, making this club a no-brainer if you fancy wines from the West Coast.

Again, as with most of the other clubs, there is no cost to join

Website: https://cwinex.io/

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