Take a wild guess. Go ahead. How much wine do you think Costco sells at their 433 stores in the US and Puerto Rico each year, in addition to 165 more locations around the world?

Costco sells some interesting stuff – Krug, Cristal, Dom Perignon and even classed-growth Bordeaux. Just about anything is available at 10-15% less than at other stores. They even have their own line of Marque d’Acheteur wines using the Kirkland brand.

I know – it’s hard to imagine serving wine with that distinctive Kirkland look at an elegant party. I mean, seriously. This is where I go for reams of toilet paper. Bargain basement bagel deals. Omega 3 fish oil pills. And you think I’m going to buy my champagne there?

Get over yourself.

Next time you cross over the border (or not, depending on where you’re reading this from), stop worrying what the Joneses will think and snap up this deal of a champagne that earned 90 points in Decanter recently.

This is a traditional method champagne from Verzenay – 65% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier and 10% Chardonnay – from the vineyards of Janisson et Fils in the Montagne de Reims. Thirteen percent of their vineyards are classified as Premier Cru and Grand Cru.

The wine is clear and bright, medium salmon verging on tangerine with persistent, small bubbles. The nose is clean with light and delicate aromas of field berry, strawberry, raspberry and yeast.

The palate is dry with high, juicy acidity, a creamy mousse and medium minus alcohol. The body is surprisingly medium and the flavour profile medium plus consists of strawberries, ripe raspberries, plenty of pink grapefruit, field berries, toast and biscuit on the yeast. The finish is medium plus.

This is WSET ‘very good’ champagne – full of aromatic and flavourful complexity, toasty character, minerality, good acidity and a lengthy finish.

Annette Alvarez Peters, Costco’s assistant general merchandise manager for wine, spirits and beer was vilified last year for saying wine is ‘simply a product, no different from toilet paper’ (Decanter, July 2013, page 33). Not exactly the kind of romancing wine geeks are accustomed to, for sure. That said, she then turned around and sold $1.4B of wine and spirits in 2012.
Astonishing.
So is the wine.