‘Can it Kirkland?’: Costco Brand Wines Are Actually Great

• By WineBottleMag
• February 28, 2025
• Brand Costco Great Kirkland Wines
• With 0 comments

“Can it Kirkland?” asks the New Age band The Never Ending Fall in their viral Tiktok series that compares nam- brand spirits and Costco’s private label via their own (less rigorous) version of blind tasting. 

The group came up with the idea—and insanely catchy jingle—after discovering the beloved brand’s “ridiculously oversized, extremely cheap bottles of liquor” while trying to save money on their booze bill, they told The Seattle Times.

If it isn’t already obvious, the question “Can it Kirkland?” is a compliment to Costco, indicating that the deal lover’s favorite is just as good, if not better than the originals. 

The members of the Never Ending Fall aren’t the only ones blown away by the low prices and high-quality of Costco’s beverage selection: Wine Enthusiast’s critics agree. 

“Selections are uniformly excellent across price points, regions and categories, but Kirkland brand table wines are some of the best bottles you can get at retail, bar none,” says Danielle Callegari, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews Italy.

A Critic’s Favorite

It could be the tasting methods, but despite the mutual appreciation, our critics’ assessment of Costco wines do differ from the band.

According to the group, the boxed version of Kirkland Signature Cabernet 2023 cannot Kirkland, compared to Black Box. But Wine Enthusiast California Reviewer Tonya Pitts was impressed by that submission in a lineup of at least seven comparable wines. “I thought this is another slam dunk for the brand,” she says. “I would not be surprised if it is in the buggy for someone’s Costco run for the week.” 

Pitts also wasn’t surprised that this outstanding glass came from the bargain-friendly brand. “The more I taste the wines, the more I understand the fascination with the wine brands and why everyone who drinks higher-end wines drink these too,” she says. 

She’s far from alone. Callegari is “extra super pumped about Costco wines,” she says. “I am a die hard Costco devotee. I have been a member since 2001. That’s right—my vintage year is public knowledge so you can do the math on how early in my life I started praying at this altar.”

While Callegari loves the brand’s hiring practices, business modeland, especially, their hot dog, she says, “their wine and spirits section is where I will have my ashes spread, thanks largely to the work of now-retired living legend [and Former Costco Wine Buyer] Annette Alvarez-Peters.”

Alvarez-Peters, who ran the wine buying program for 15 years, solidified the retail giant’s reputation for its accessible, affordable and high-quality beverage program. A great example, says Callegari is “their Tuscan Estate Bottled & Cellared red…such a good deal you should be worried you might have given up a piece of your soul without realizing it.”

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Impressive Wines by Design

Building off the impressive portfolio Alvarez-Peters created during her 15-year tenure as Costco’s wine buyer, the company continues to seek out quality and value, says Russell York, the current Costco Wholesale Wine, Beer and Spirits Buyer. To hit the right note, they examine crowd favorites along with emerging trends and take extra care with Kirkland-branded bottles.

“Whether that’s a Sonoma Cabernet or a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, if the masses are buying it, we consider doing it under Kirkland,” York says. “Also, if there is a hot trend we may consider it. Even if the sales aren’t huge nationwide, if the trend has potential to grow we will take a good look at it.”   

Once the team decides to go after a particular item—like, say, its recently released Kirkland Signature Chianti Classico Gran Selezione—they reach out to trusted suppliers with whom they’ve established relationships as well as suppliers who are established in that particular category to find the right fit. “We start out very broad and narrow it down from there,” York says.

Because Costco buys such a huge volume and has small profit margins, they’re able to pass those savings along to their members—enabling the retailer to offer unparalleled deals. 

“We don’t forget that our member actually pays to shop with us,” York says. “So, they need to have the confidence that what they buy with us will be a great price. Otherwise, why would they pay?”

Fair point.

‘Screaming Deals’

But it’s also good for business. For the most part, Kirkland Signature wines are the best sellers of every category—from reds to whites and even special-occasion bottles. Their top-selling Champagne? Kirkland Signature, at $19.99 a bottle. And yes, it does come from France. “You would be hard pressed to find another true Champagne under private label at our quality and value,” York says. 

What may be an even better value are Costco’s Treasure Hunt wines. These include rotating and onetime buys, such as a Kirkland Signature Châteauneuf-du-Pape that sells for $19.69 when available, as well as both a Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino that go for $19.99 apiece. “If you are lucky, you can grab them at screaming values,” he says.

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York is obviously proud of the private-label wines he procures for the company. So, what does he think of Never Ending Fall’s “Can it Kirkland?”

“We love that there are so many people out there that get excited about our products,” he says.  Even if a review is negative it shows that our Kirkland Signature programs get the attention that we feel they deserve and are being compared to the best brands out there.”

Want to know what our critics have to say? Check out our list below for the highest-rated Kirkland Signature wines.

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