Pinot Noir

This is a signature Sonoma Russian River Pinot at a pretty good price at Costco.  I bought it for $15.99, but I’ve seen it going closer to $20 at most other outlets.  I thought it was right in line at the $16 mark, not more, not less.  It’s a light and easy drinking wine.  A …

Reviewed by CostcoWineBlog.com Contributor Michael S Ever since Sideways dissed merlot and made pinot noir the “cool red” in 2004, I’ve pretty much shunned pinot.  (I’ve never handled “cool” well). Everyone once in a while I’d enjoy a Paso Robles or Oregon pinot with a meal but, generally, I found the pinot noir to range …

I’ve opened my fair share of wine bottles over the years, some new, some really old, some opened in haste, others opened with extreme care.  Finding a good corkscrew is not easy, and there’s a ton of debate over which ones are best. I’m not going to tell you this one is the best, but …

There are quite a few really enjoyable Kirkland wines available right now in Costco stores at very good prices.  Keep in mind every store and area is different.  You might not be able to find all of these, but what follows are some of our favorites from the past few months, ranked by our ratings from high …

[Reviewed by Josh L] We drink a lot of Pinot Noirs, ranging from domestic California, Oregon and Washington State, to “old world” versions from Burgundy and “new world” iterations from New Zealand. And in all of the Pinot Noirs, from all the places in the world, of all vintages, cork vs. alternative tops, blends or …

It was a pleasant surprise to come across this bottle from Costco’s Kirkland label.  They’ve really expanded their reach to include a wider selection of wines from numerous prestigious wine growing areas around the globe.  So I would advise to take note on your next trip to Costco.  You might be surprised what you find. …

Finding good Red Burgundy at a decent price is tough, so I was curious how this $20 bottle from Costco would show.  Overall, I found it to be an ok buy, hard to beat for the money, but not the hidden value Pinot I had hoped for. Pleasant nose, fresh berries with some smoke and perfume; the …

At the end of every year we look back at the previous 12 months of reviews and assemble a list of the highest rated wines we enjoyed from Costco. But first let’s take a quick look back at 2014, which was another big year for the site.  We moved to a new hosting platform and responsive design …

It’s always difficult to find the perfect Thanksgiving wine that everyone will unanimously agree pairs perfect with the hodge podge of food and flavors that are typically served on Thanksgiving tables around the country.  I tend to opt for a variety of different wines, and enjoy tasting them all at the same time with the …

I adore this wine and it’s hard to believe it’s only $20.  Julia’s Vineyard Pinot makes an occasional appearance at Costco and it’s a must buy when it does.  Consistently year to year this Pinot overdelivers.  It’s a big balanced and interestingly complex wine for its price range. Lively aromas, floral and peppery, the wine …

I enjoyed this wine, but was hoping for just a bit more depth for an Oregon Pinot that Costco was selling for $19.69, and one that is priced closer to $30 elsewhere. Everything here is really enjoyable and I love my Oregon Pinots (almost as much as my Oregon Ducks, even though that loss last …

Since it’s right around mid-year, I wanted to take a minute to outline the wines that we’ve really enjoyed so far in 2014.  Below is a list of wines that we scored 90 points or above, and that we highly recommend you keep an eye out for at Costco.  Most of these will be gone, …

I’m a believer that many different types of wine can complement the Thanksgiving holiday. The variety of food with such varying characteristics means there’s not really any single home run wine that matches all the flavors.  I like to serve one white and one red bottle with the meal (at the same time, one glass of each per person), usually preceeded by a bubbly, Champagne or Presecco, while the meal is prepared.

With listing Costco wines, it’s always a moving target since the inventory moves so quickly.  But I found two wines we reviewed recently that I really enjoyed and that I think would be a good complement to the Thanksgiving celebration.  These were purchased at a Costco store in Atlanta, GA so I can’t say if you’ll be able to find them near you.  But keep an eye out.
– Andrew, Editor
 

I really enjoyed the Baileyana Chardonnay so was thrilled to see the Pinot hits store shelves.  This is an $18 Pinot that drinks like it cost two to three times that.  It’s an easy crowd pleaser, with great mouthfeel and has enough vanilla, pepper and spice going on to jazz up almost any meal.  My review here.

I’m a fan of most Carneros wines and this Chardonnay hit me right on all accords.  Rich, layered with touches of butter, cream and oak, but not too much.  In my experience Neyers has never produced a bad wine.  They are dependable, and for $25, this is a solid Chardonnay.  My full review here.

I’ve been working diligently on the latest version of my French Wine Book, “Decoding French Wine: A Beginner’s Guide to Enjoying the Fruits of the French Terroir,” and I’m happy to say that this new second edition is live today on Amazon.com. The Kindle version is only $3.99 and it includes information on major French wine regions including Bordeaux, Loire, Burgundy, Alsace, Rhone, Languedoc-Roussillon and Champagne.  This book is short and conscise, written to help the beginner wine drinker become more familiar with French wines that may seem overly complicated and complex.

I wanted to really make this simple to digest, and to help turn more people on to these amazing wines.  If you’ve followed this site for a while, you know I have a tendency to review many of the French wines, particularly the 2010 Bordeaux because they are an amazing vintage. But I also look at many other French wines and regions, because the value is typically so great, especially at Costco. So here’s a chance to boost your knowledge and ultimately, your enjoyment, of these awesome wines.

Download a free sample chapter here.

Thanks for supporting this site.

Andrew, Editor