(Bloomberg) - Ian Cauble looks more like a surfer than a master sommelier, but his passion is definitely wine. He starred in the 2012 cult-hit film SOMM, which tracked the trials and tribulations of four sommeliers in their quest to pass the tough master sommelier exam. (Cauble was the blond one who stayed up all night studying his flashcards.)

 A year and a half ago he co-founded wine club SommSelect, and when I reached him recently by phone, he was heading to Burgundy to pry older vintages out of top cellars for his members. His club, which has swollen to 2,000 regular buyers, offers monthly selections of exciting top-tier wines for $199—and is just one of the rapidly growing number of hip wine clubs “curated” by sommeliers.

To me, these subscription organizations are game-changers, the only wine clubs worth joining, whether you love discovering interesting wines but have little time to hunt them down or you just want to expand your palate beyond your current comfort zone. (See below for my picks of the best ones.)

Why? The cutting-edge, high-quality wines they offer are often hidden-gem labels that are hard to obtain without insider access.

Most wine clubs still offer plonk—bulk reds and whites jazzily repackaged with a catchy name for the club or blends created with particular flavor profiles and price points in mind. While these may appeal to novices, they’re not for serious drinkers.

(Winery wine clubs are something different. If you’re a fan of particular estates and want the chance to purchase their special cuvées and older vintages, it makes sense to join.)

Somm clubs are the adventurous alternative. Yes, they adhere to the basic club model, where you pay a set price for a certain number of wines delivered direct to your door each month or quarter.

But some also offer daily deals and bespoke options so you can get sets of bottles tailored to your taste preferences and entertaining needs. Plus, the wines come with tasting notes, food pairings, and stories, all of which reflect the personal taste and style of the somm doing the selecting.