Wait, they’re multiplying. Wine clubs are everywhere. Right in the midst of the biggest slow-down in high-end wine purchasing, clubs are sprouting out from every food-related organization or every media outlet. Everybody wants a piece of the action.

The message seems to be: You don’t buy the newspaper, but why not join the Wine Club? The Wall Street Journal, with its popular wine columnists, has always been a newspaper leader in wine news. They may even be credited with starting the media wine club frenzy. Followed quickly by programs from The Washington Post, The New York Times, and USA Today.

Airlines have had numerous wine club promotions over the years, and not to be ignored the latest entrant, as of this posting, is the Zagat family of guides. So many clubs; so many options, but why? Price?

Remember the old days when you’d visit a winery, fall in love with its wines, and decide to take advantage of the member-only specials, often including pre-release bottles. That concept is still very much alive but receiving a lot of competition for wine dollars. These new non-vineyard based clubs unite many wineries you’ve never heard of  with companies solving the selection process. How daring are you? Do you want the reds from XYZ or do you want to be a member of a winery you fell in love with?

That’s the decision-maker.

Wine is a memory. A wine purchase should transport you back to where you first tasted it. Remember that romantic field  in Provence! If you do, that is a cherished memory you try to duplicate with each pour from a Cotes du Rhone. How about the mustard-fields of Napa and the fine dining experience at Etoile at Domaine Chandon, then that is your sparkling club. Don’t forget the European style of a Virginia winner, Barboursville. Sipping an Octagon anywhere else may not be as satisfying as it was in the beautiful tasting room or in the restaurant Palladio, but it is a spectacular wine that quickly fills the glass with a wonderful memory.

Membership has its advantages, and in the wine world, it’s nice to know what you’ll get. Wait, Borders, the bookstore people, just announced a wine club!

So many glasses to fill; so many clubs. Drink what you like or be an adventurer into the tasting unknown.

Take your pick or trust your memory.