Wine clubs are hugely popular in Britain and probably the most respected (but with the lowest profile) is The Wine Society – a not-for-profit organisation that is wholly owned by its 100,000 members.

It costs £40 to join the world’s oldest wine club and their plonk comes from all around the world, ranging from £4 to £400 a bottle.

It is unique in the wine trade because the society only sells to its members.

Becoming a member is simple, all you need to do is buy a share in the business and its considerable assets for a one-off £40 investment, which lasts for life and can even be bequeathed in the event of your demise.

Members have access to more than 1,500 wines ethically sourced by the Society's six buyers.

It's a brilliant way to buy wine from artisan producers that you normally wouldn't find in your average wine shop or supermarket.

The delivery service means that you can live in the back of beyond and not miss out.

The Society also holds more than 100 events around the country throughout the year where members have the opportunity to meet winemakers, Wine Society buyers and staff, and each other.

The events are an interesting mix of theme tastings and winemaker dinners held all year round.

To find out more, visit thewinesociety.

com .

Just one word of caution – some less scrupulous wine clubs include cold mail-outs in letters from banks, ticketing agencies or other businesses.

These might look like bargains – it’s hard to turn down something like £50 off a case of wine – but make sure you read the small print as it often turns out that you get signed up to wine ‘plans’ which see further cases turning up seemingly uninvited.

This is fine if you’re happy with the quality of the wine on offer, but it's not always as good a deal as you may be led to believe.