American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF).
More than 10,000 members are focused on wine and food appreciation and stimulating scholarly study in gastronomy.

• Membership Dues: Required annual contributions range from $40 for students to $2,500 for corporations.

• Benefits: Special prices and invitations to national and chapter programs, savings on wine and food publications, and the AIWF's American Wine & Food newsletter.

• Contact Info: Tel: (800) 274-AIWF (2493) Email: AIWF@hqtrs.com Web Site: (AIWF)

American Wine Society (AWS).
This national group helps publicize regional event and organizes 110 local chapters, which sponsor tours, tastings and other recreational and educational events. The national conference, held in November, features tastings, contests, tours of wineries and vineyards, and well-known speakers. Members with at least two years of chapter comparative tastings or equivalent are eligible for the AWS Wine Judge Certification Program..

• Membership Dues: $45 per individual or couple; $70 professional, $355 lifetime memberships for those age 60 and older.

• Benefits: Participation in local chapter activities, regional and national events; quarterly American Wine Society Journal and AWS News, technical manuals, bulletins, videos and vintage charts.

• Contact Info: Tel: 716-225-7613 Email: Angel1910@aol.com Web Site: (AWS)

The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts COPIA.
Equally appropriate for gourmet cooks and avid microwavers, this two-year-old non-profit is a cultural museum and educational center that celebrates the connection between American wine and food and the arts and humanities.

• Membership Dues: From $72-$10,000. Seniors, students & AIWF members receive 20% discount on any membership level.

• Benefits: Participation in events and programs at a discounted rate, free admission for one year, complimentary subscription to the quarterly newsletter, gift shop discounts and exhibition previews.

• Contact Info: Tel: 888-51-COPIA Email: Info@copia.org Web Site: COPIA

Napa Valley Wine Library Association (NVWLA).
Preserves and shares information regarding viticulture, enology, and wine lore, particularly as it pertains to the Napa Valley. Its 4,000-plus title collection, including historic photographs, is housed at the St. Helena Public Library.

• Membership Dues: $30 per year.

• Benefits: Seasonal Wine Library Report, first notice of wine appreciation weekends and one-day seminars, and admission to the annual wine tasting, an August event that presents the wines of more than 100 Napa Valley wineries.

• Contact Info: Tel: 707-963-5145 Email: Info@napawinelibrary.org Web Site: (NVWLA)

Red Epicurus.
Only one year old, but quickly gaining ground with chapters in London and Washington, D.C. The club motto: "We love to eat, drink and learn about it." They are a sponsor of gastronomic programs.

• Membership Dues: Starting at $90 (#50) per year.

• Benefits: Discounted food classes & workshops, wine tastings, lectures, spirits courses, food-related art exhibits, receptions.

• Contact Info: Tel: 202-549-6960 Email: Info@redepicurus.com Web Site: Red Epicurus

Rhone Rangers.
A non-profit, educational organization dedicated to increasing knowledge of American-grown traditional Rhone grapes -- and the wines produced from them. Members include grape growers, winemakers, restaurants, and retailers. Wine enthusiasts from the general public may also join as "Sidekicks."

• Membership Dues: $30 single, $35 dual

• Benefits: Discounts at public tastings, quarterly newsletters, invitations to special, member-only events at member wineries, and a T-shirt with the Rhone Ranger logo.

• Contact Info: Web Site: Rhone Rangers

Slow Food.
With more than 400 branches and 40,000 members, this group promotes eating enjoyment, local traditions and superior products. Their website offers "suggestions" for "bottle of the week," and "menu of the week," as well as typical Italian cheeses and wine cellars. Activities include a taste education program, wine conventions, consumer information, a project aimed at safeguarding and benefiting small-scale agricultural and food production, and the annual Salone del Gusto, which features hundreds of food and wine events. The group also publishes the quarterly magazine Slow, the international herald of tastes.

• Membership Dues: $60 per year U.S., C$90 in Canada

• Contact Info: Tel: 212-988-5146 Email: International@slowfood.com Web Site: Slow Food

Tasters Guild International.
With 78 chapters in the U.S., this group promotes the appreciation, understanding, and moderate use of wine and food through education, dinner seminars, tastings, consumer/member benefits, and travel opportunities.

• Membership Dues: $40 per family

• Benefits: International wine judging each spring and a wine competition in the fall for members. Also Tasters Guild Journal and an annual Food and Wine Cruise and other excursions. Local chapters sponsor wine and food events and members receive discounts nationwide from affiliated wine and gourmet establishments.

• Contact Info: Tel: 954-928-2823 Email: jjschagrin@aol.com Web Site: Tasters Guild

Food and Wine Fantasy Camp
For those preferring the ultimate food and wine experience without joining an organization check out the Beringer Food and Wine Fantasy Camp

• With prices starting at $750, without accommodations for a weekend culinary adventure in Wine Country, to $5,700 for a 12-day food and wine discovery of Chile and Argentina, based on double occupancy, the Beringer food and Wine Fantasy Camp offers a wide variety for all palates and pockets.

• Contact Info: The Beringer Master Series on Food and Wine
  St. Helena, California
  707-967-4451
  www.napavalley.com