One of my early pandemic discoveries was Costco. I don’t recall what drove me to get a membership, but I just strolled in one day and signed up. I’m in a household of two people, so I wasn’t sure if I’d get to take full advantage of things. Boy was I wrong! Our favorites now are the proteins, big hunks of cheese, and fun snacks (the Korean BBQ jerky is a hit). Every time I go, I seem to discover something new. And Aaron hates going, so it’s shopping alone time that I love. Sometimes I stroll the aisles fantasizing about the big ‘ol house I’ll own one day, where I can store all 36 cans of tomato sauce in the pantry! That is not happening now in my 1-bedroom apartment situation! In case you didn’t know, Costco is the largest retailer of wine IN THE WORLD. Crazy, right? People always ask me about Costco brand wines, and I never had a meaningful reply, as I had never tried them. Once I got my membership, I decided to change that! In previous blog posts I reviewed 20 different Costco wines (the Kirkland brand). I actually blind tasted them with a group of friends to find out which were the Costco Crowd Pleasers and Costco Brand Wine Values. To date, these have been my two most popular posts in the history of my blog! Today I review three more Costco Wines. The Three C’s, I’m calling them. We’ve got a: Champagne, Chablis, and Côtes du Rhône. This is THE elusive Costco Champagne. One of the most lauded Costco wines, if only for its value. Finding any other bottle of true Champagne at $20 (or less) would be a futile effort. I’m gonna cut to the chase here. If you are looking for a bone-dry Champagne with yeast autolysis (bready, toasty) notes, this is not that. If you are looking for an inexpensive Champagne and don’t mind a lighter and fresher style, this is that. The older I’ve gotten, the more I have realized I need those bready, yeasty, toasty notes in my life. If I want a lighter, fresher style of traditional method sparkling, personally I’m reaching for Cava or Cremant. There is nothing wrong with this Costco wine at all; it just doesn’t check my boxes. But I presume for many people who love their Champs and want to save a buck, they will be very happy with this purchase. I’m sure this Costco wine was vintaged. It just must have been on the back label, which I did not capture. Nobody’s perfect:/ In contrast to the Costco wine above, this one checked all the boxes. Chablis is made from the Chardonnay grape and tends to be made in a style with little (or no) oak influence. The Chardonnay grape really sings with Chablis, and this was no exception, This Costco wine is austere and has bracing acid. Everything you could want in a Chablis. Chablis Cha-blam! Another SOLID Costco wine for you to add to the list. And the price, I mean, come on. If you compare this to pretty much ANY grocery store red at this price, this one will win. I bet you $100! Côtes du Rhône is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and really is the “original red blend”. Somewhere along the way in the last few years, consumers have fallen in love with red blends. Not sure why, but I think it’s the advertising and endcaps of crappy, commercial grocery store wines like Apothic, Menage a Trois, and others. Try this wine against any of those grocery store red blends and you’ll instantly taste that this is a superior wine. It’s dry, fruity, and balanced, which is more than I can say for that cheap grocery store glug. This should be your go to under $10 bottle of house red. Have you tried any Costco wines lately that you’ve loved? Drop me a note. I’d love to hear. One thing is for sure: Costco wine prices cannot be beat. Check out my article on Decanter: Decanter Best: Costco Kirkland Signature Wines: Top Buys from the USThe Unknown of Costco Wines
Review of Costco Wines
Brut Champagne NV $19.99
Chablis Premier Cru $17.79
Côtes du Rhône Villages 2020 $6.99
