wine of the month clubs

Monica, I've heretofore stayed out of this conversation, but I'll put in my $0.02 now. First of all, there are three different types of "wine of the month" clubs: winery-based, retailer-based and independent. The winery-based clubs are generally a good idea if you've liked their wines and want to get more exposure or access to hard-to-find wines from them. One of the best examples is Ridge's "Advanced Tasting Program" (ATP): on from the winery and early access to their more popular wines.

Retailer-based clubs involve wine stores who put together a monthly offering that people can buy either on a subscription basis or as a one-off arrangement. The key here is to find a retailer whose selection and judgment you like, otherwise it's likely to be just a way to dump wines they can't sell by regular means. Some of my favorites are the wine clubs offered by Solano Cellars (a retailer I know and like):

The independent wine clubs are the riskiest, as most that I've seen deal in marginal products (wines produced exclusively for them or wines that aren't selling well). One of the better ones that I've seen is the whose wineries I've heard of and often actually like.

These are just examples of what's out there, but FWIW that's how I see the playing field.

Good luck, and have fun! Mark Lipton