This is a series of weekly bargain wine picks by the members of the Vintage Wine Tasting Club. We meet every other month for a formal tasting session but in between we communicate with each other whenever we discover a great wine bargain. We love the sport of bargain wine hunting. Here are our bargain wine picks from the past week.
All are picks this week come from Costco so if you don’t shop at Costco you are out of luck on our choices unless you can find them at another wine shop. If you do, I doubt if that store can match the Costco wine prices. Costco’s markup on these wines is ridiculously low.
Whitehall Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2009 – Costco – $11.99 Joe’s Pick
I went to the Costco store in South San Francisco on 451 South Airport Blvd. just because I was in the area. Checking the wine section, I discovered this 2009 Sauvignon Blanc for a somewhat astonishing price. Since the 2010 Sauvignon Blancs have all been released except for a few, I figure this 2009 was some sort of inventory clearance by the Whitehall Lane winery. This wine is beautiful and a delightful example of a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. After savoring this bottle I looked for it at the Costco store I normally shop at in Foster City, but there was no sign of this wine on the shelves. Not all Costco stores stock the same wines. By the way, Chronicle wine writer Jon Bonne recommends the Whitehall Lane 2010 in this S.F.Gate article. I also found this same wine at the Wine Stop in Burlingame for $14.99, so you can see the Costco price is very low on this wine. 89 Points
Lapostolle Casa Carmenére 2010 – Costco – $7.99 Joe’s Pick
I always think of the Carmenére as a little on the vegetative side. This wine is remarkably free of that flavor and is a very nice, soft-drinking red wine. Carmenére is the main grape in Chile, something akin to what Malbec is in Argentina. They had a ton of this wine at the South Francisco Store but, like the Sauvignon Blanc above, I could not find it at the Foster City store. 86 Points
Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Chardonnay 2009 – Costco – $7.99 Jim’s Pick
I’m mostly a red wine drinker but this wine came highly recommended by a friend who exclusively drinks Chardonnay. I know, crazy but to each his own. She thinks the Kirkland Chardonnay is the best wine bargain around “bar none.” Yes, I like it very much and the price is only $7.99. This Char has just the right oak and balance in my book. I tried it alongside Kendall Jackson’s most popular Chardonnay, and I thought the Costco Chardonnay was a much better choice.
Looking for a visit to the Wine Country to find wine bargains? Check out this handy Trip Planner on WineCountryGetaways.com
Like Jim I’m not much of a white wine drinker but lately I have taken to Savignon Blanc on these hot days. They seem to be priced very reasonably no matter where you purchase them. I enjoy the citrus like flavor.
I don’t care for vegetal Carmenere either but it really depends on the vintage. I’ve been tasting the Santa Ema Carmenere for years and really have seen the differences. Some have no vegetal nose or flavor at all.
I would wonder what is similar to Malbec, since I love any kinds of red wine. Sounds like a great bargain that I have to try! Is this more on the fruity side?