Paul Ferris, a wine steward at Costco in San Francisco, stocks bottles in 2016.
Eric Kayne/For the S.F. Chronicle
Anytime I’m at Costco, I’m simultaneously amazed by and skeptical of the crazy-low prices on certain items. There’s the $1.50 hot dog, whose price hasn’t risen in 40 years, and the $4.99 rotisserie chicken, which ranked very highly in a Chronicle blind tasting earlier this year.
But no Costco product’s pricing has puzzled me as much as the line of Kirkland Signature wines. Sonoma County Chardonnay for $7.99, when the average price is closer to $25? Carneros Pinot Noir for $8.99, when many examples are at least $40? No wonder they’re a staple at so many holiday parties.
But I wanted to find out whether they were actually any good, so I enlisted the help of wine steward Paul Ferris, who acts as a sommelier — another pretty astounding service that Costco offers at many of its stores — offering recommendations to any San Francisco customers who ask. He helped me choose three reds, a white and two sparkling wines, which he said represent some of the best of the Kirkland Signature line. They cost between $6.99 and $21.99.
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One thing that struck me immediately about the Costco bottles was that many of them identify the name of the winemaker on the back. This is unusual for private labels — i.e., wines that are made by one winery but then sold under a different brand, often a restaurant, hotel or retailer. They typically obscure the original source, since the winery might sell a similar wine under its own label for more money than the private label. That’s the case with some of the wines that I bought, like the Kirkland Signature $14.99 Toscana. It’s produced by Tuscan winery Caiarossa, whose own Toscana costs $59.99 at K&L.
Overall, the six bottles I tasted were solid quality and faithful representations of their respective types. I wouldn’t say that any of them knocked my socks off — with the possible exception of my No. 1 pick — but it’s hard to argue with the value propositions.
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Here are the Costco wines I tasted, ranked in order of my preference:
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A selection of Kirkland Signature wines purchased at the San Francisco Costco.
Esther Mobley/S.F. Chronicle
6. Kirkland Signature Brut Champagne ($21.99)
The most expensive wine in my shopping cart, Costco’s Champagne nevertheless represents a screaming deal for Champagne. High-quality sparkling wines from the actual Champagne region of France are hard to come by for less than $50. This bottle identifies its producer as Manuel Janisson, a winemaker I’m not familiar with.
This was the most disappointing of any wine in my tasting. I hoped for more complexity and finer bubbles. It does not have the yeasty, briochey flavors that I love in many Champagnes — and since it’s nonvintage, I don’t know how long it aged. But for less than half the price of entry-level Champagnes, is it OK to be half as good? Maybe. It’s still a decent bottle of wine for $22.
5. Kirkland Signature Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2024 ($10.99)
Kirkland Signature Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2024 ($10.99).
Esther Mobley/S.F. Chronicle
This bottling comes from winemaker Alison Crowe of Napa’s Plata Wine Partners, a major force in the private-label game. At $10.99, it’s notably cheap for Russian River Pinot, which can cost at least $25 on the low end and exceed $100 on the higher end.
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For those who love Russian River Pinot Noir, Kirkland’s wine will satisfy. It’s got the juicy flavors and aromas of maraschino cherry and cola that many wines from this area of Sonoma County express. Its fruitiness is a little over the top and heavy for my personal taste, but consumers who like a borderline-jammy Pinot should be pleased.
4. Kirkland Signature Ti Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025 ($6.99)
Kirkland Signature Ti Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025 ($6.99).
Esther Mobley/S.F. Chronicle
This New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc doesn’t force you to flip to the back label to learn the name of the vineyard it comes from — it says it right up front. Ti Point winery’s own Sauvignon Blancs usually sell for closer to $20 in the U.S. But I’d imagine the real competitive set for Costco’s wine are the likes of Kim Crawford and Oyster Bay, two mega-hit New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs that can be had for $11-$12.
I never have extremely high expectations for New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs in this price range, and I wouldn’t say that the Kirkland bottle exceeded them. Still, for those looking for the category’s archetypal flavors — sharp grassiness and a lemon-lime note that can border on ammonia-like — the wine delivers in spades. It’s acidic, light and citrusy, exactly the sort of wine that you won’t feel like you’re wasting by pouring into a tiny plastic cup at the office holiday shindig.
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3. Kirkland Signature Toscana 2022 ($14.99)
Kirkland Signature Toscana 2022 ($14.99).
Esther Mobley/S.F. Chronicle
The label on this Italian wine doesn’t divulge which grape varieties went into it, but Ferris, the wine steward, told me it’s a Super Tuscan — a blend that typically includes Tuscany’s signature grape, Sangiovese, along with imported French cultivars like Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. It’s the work of winemaker Alexander Van Beek of Caiarossa winery, which also makes Toscana bottlings that retail for around $60.
It’s a big, rich wine, leading with dense fruit flavors of blackberry and cherry, though there’s still a leathery, spicy aspect that keeps the fruitiness in balance. The profile is standard for a Super Tuscan (though I tend to prefer the earthier, more red fruit-driven Sangioveses of Tuscany’s Chianti Classico region). The wine would be a nice match for hearty red meat.
2. Kirkland Signature Asolo Prosecco Superiore ($7.99)
Kirkland Signature Asolo Prosecco Superiore ($7.99).
Esther Mobley/S.F. Chronicle
With inexpensive Prosecco, you’re not looking for much complexity: At best, you can expect a pleasantly fizzy wine with fruity flavors and a little sweetness. I appreciated that Costco’s Prosecco tasted much less sweet than other comparable options, with an green-apple flavor that doesn’t veer (as it often can) into the Jolly Rancher realm. For $7.99, I expected cloying, but what I got instead was something nicely balanced.
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This wine would hold its own very nicely against popular Proseccos like La Marca, which usually costs between $10-$14 a bottle. It’s also worth noting that it’s classified as Prosecco DOCG, a designation from the Italian government that is reserved for the highest-quality Proseccos made according to the strictest requirements. I’d drink it on its own, though I’m more likely to buy it in the future as a mixer for spritzes and other bubbly cocktails.
1. Kirkland Signature Barolo 2021 ($19.99)
Kirkland Signature Barolo 2021 ($19.99).
Esther Mobley/S.F. Chronicle
Barolo for $20 is nearly unheard of. This is the signature wine of Piedmont, in northern Italy, made from the Nebbiolo grape. It’s sometimes referred to as “the king of wines and the wine of kings.” Fine examples can start around $50, though the best Barolos — tragically — can cost hundreds of dollars. Although this bottling doesn’t name the winemaker, it is from Serralunga d’Alba, a prestigious growing area.
Ferris said that the Barolo is one of the best Kirkland Signature wines, and I don’t doubt it. It’s an impressive wine, showing the earthy and floral notes that are typical of Barolo; many wine aficionados characterize a prototypical Barolo as tasting like “tar and roses.” It’s light in color but formidable in tannin, and at four years old is ready to drink now.
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