(Forbes) - 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.

After reviewing several clubs and 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Lot 18 / Tasting Room— Tasting Room wine club has been a part of Lot 18 for just over two years. After Tasting Room was acquired it was re-launched as a personalized wine club in which members could taste sample-sized wines in order to help determine their preferences. For $9.99 you get a shipment of six miniature bottles to taste side-by-side. The intent is to help you ascertain your preferences in wine. For serious, knowledgeable wine drinkers this is a moot exercise, but it’s good fun if you are just getting into wine.

Wines for each shipment are then selected based your taste preferences among the mini-samples. Shipments are quarterly, not monthly. One case quarterly runs $149, plus $19.99 for shipping. Members can re-order bottles of a particular wine they’ve discovered through Tasting Room, in a special section of the site called Bottle Shop.

Club W –This is a completely different model than the other standard clubs. Rather than scout the wine wilderness for great deals and tastes, the Club W model is a direct to consumer winery, which means they are contracting with wineries and growers to bottle their own wines. The Club W wines are only sold through the club, not anywhere else in retail.

Members get a list each month of available selections and then choose their wines (based on a Palate Profile that you fill out online—which is intended to help guide your decision-making). The generic club membership offers three bottles of wine for $39 plus $6 in shipping costs. Some members complain that when they find a wine they love, they cannot find it again due to the club’s ever-changing selections. However, for the individual who loves to constantly try something new, this is a good club option.

Membership is free, but several online reviews of this club stated that cancelling membership was very difficult.

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