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Three Tricks for Decoding Costco’s Wine Price Tags That Nobody Tells You

Three Tricks for Decoding Costco’s Wine Price Tags That Nobody Tells You

Most of the time when we’re browsing the wine selection at Costco, we look at the labels, the price, maybe read the description on the white price tag and check out the point ratings.

But each one of Costco’s wine tags is packed with valuable information that you can use to learn more about the wines and the potentially discounted price.  Plus it’s a trick that applies to other items throughout the store.

So arm yourself with this information and get ready to be a more informed shopper on your next Costco trip.

costco price tag

  1. Look at the price. If the price ends in $.97, it is a mark down from the regular price which would end in $.99. If you see a more unusual ending to the price, such as $.49 or $.79, or in the case of this wonderful Zinfandel above, $.39, this typically means that Costco worked a special price with the producer, so you might not find it for less anywhere else.
  2. Look for an Asterisk. Check out the top right corner of the tag to see if there’s an asterisk like you see in the photo here. If a wine (or other Costco item) has an asterisk it means that it’s a clearance item and it will not be restocked. This is hugely important for wine buying as it lets you know that you should stock up while you can, if so desired.2015 Tuck Beckstoffer The Seventy Five Wine Company Est 75
  3. Pay special attention to wine markdowns. It doesn’t happen a lot, but sometimes you’ll see $5 off or $7 off a particular wine for a period of time. These typically represent very good buys, taking Costco’s already great price even lower, sometimes 10-20%. For example this recent red blend from renowned winemaker Tuck Beckstoffer is usually $20 (actually $19.79), but for a period of time was available for $15, which is a screaming deal.

One more bonus tip, and I know this one is a little harder to do unless you are perusing the wine aisles regularly like we do, but pay attention to any price changes on the wines at Costco.

Occasionally when something is not moving, Costco will creep the price down but not indicate the discount anywhere. The price on the tag will just be less. These are wines you will want to pounce on too if you’re interested as clearly Costco is trying to move the inventory.

I’ve seen bottles of Bordeaux originally priced at $45 inch their way all the way down to $17.  It doesn’t happen a lot but it does happen.

And there you go.  I hope that helps you on your next trip to Costco, and be sure to subscribe to our email list if you want to receive our latest Costco wine reviews (two a week, no spam or sharing ever).

– Andrew, Editor

Martin

Saturday 19th of May 2018

Many years ago (40?) when I lived in British Columbia I purchased a bottle of a sparkling Italian wine, a Lacryma Christi, that I really enjoyed. However I've never found this sort of wine again. When I looked for it on the web I found a photo of a wine label in someone's collection but nothing for sale. Have you ever seen and/or tasted such a wine?

Editor

Saturday 19th of May 2018

I have never heard of that wine but you piqued my interest. I found this on Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacryma_Christi And it looked like Total wine carries a bottle but it wasn’t available near me.

Thanks for the info and maybe other readers can chime in on this one if they have experienced with the wine too

Joe

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

Another tip to note for those of us who pay attention to ratings, is that it’s not uncommon to find 2 vintages of a wine mixed in the same bin. If the scores vary widely between vintages - as they do in the Seghesio label above - it’s worth hunting around in, and under the bin. I’ve found the higher rated vintage many times just by doing this.

Editor

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

Great tip. Thanks Joe.

Patrick Lanpher

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

Thanks for all that information. One thing you might point out at a later date is that the wine ratings listed on the white price tag is not always accurate. For shoppers who rely to some extent on wine ratings, that is an important thing to check. I use my smart phone to verify ratings before I purchase wine at Costco as I have found that the wine ratings are not always accurate and tend to be higher than the accurate wine ratings.

Editor

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

I have seen that happen before as well. Nice tip. Thanks.

David

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

Renounced? Or maybe renowned... :-)

Editor

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

Good catch. Thanks

Kim

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

I love this! Thanks.

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