Category Archives: Costco Wines – Reviewed

Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet | Costco Wine Review

Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet | Costco Wine Review

Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet

After having such great success with the Northstar Merlot from Columbia Valley Washington, I decided it was about time that I try another Washington State wine – except this time I wanted to try a Cabernet and wanted the price to be around the $10 range rather than the $20 price range that the Northstar Merlot falls in at Costco.

It’s tough enough to find good Cabernet around $20 so as you can probably imagine it can be quite a bit more challenging to find a well-made, quality Cabernet Sauvignon around $10.

To keep the playing field level and to get a great price, I went back to the Costco Wine Section and chose the Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 for $10.99. I’m pretty intrigued to see how this popular Columbia Valley Cabernet offering stacks up against others in this highly-competitive price category.

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Northstar Merlot Review | A Merlot for Cab Lovers?

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2010 Northstar Merlot Review | Northstar Winery

Northstar Merlot

Two of my best friends are decamping the Washington D.C. area and are relocating to Seattle sometime this year. While I’m not exactly thrilled that they are moving to the other side of the country, it will give me a great excuse to visit beautiful Washington State from time to time and perhaps even explore it’s burgeoning wine country – where Northstar Merlot is produced.

Already big wine-lovers, their impending move has them drinking almost exclusively Washington State wines these days. It has been great fun to pop the cork on several different examples and most of them have been great if not excellent. One of their favorite go-to bottles has been the Northstar Merlot, which they regularly find for under $30.

But then they told me that the highly-acclaimed 2010 Northstar Merlot was being sold in the Costco Wine Section for under $20! So naturally I jumped at the opportunity to grab a case before it sold out – as the best deals always seem to do.

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Chateau Hanteillan 2010 | Costco Wine Reviews

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Chateau Hanteillan Haut-Medoc 2010 | Costco Wine Reviews

Chateau Hanteillan

I’m surprised I’m just now trying the Chateau Hanteillan 2010. Considering it received a solid 92 point score from Wine Enthusiast and is frequently touted by one of my favorite wine wholesalers: Wines Til Sold Out. They offer it for half of it’s $30 retail and have marketed it as a ‘very impressive “stock your cellar” wine.’ But when I happened upon the Chateau Hanteillan 2010 in the Costco Wine section at under $12, I couldn’t resist any further!

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Costco Champagne | Kirkland Signature Brut Review

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Costco Champagne | Kirkland Signature Brut Review

Costco Champagne

If this is you’re very first visit to The Fermented Fruit then welcome and thanks for visiting! I hope you come back and visit often. If you’re one of my totally incredible regular readers though, then you probably know just how much I love sparkling wine, especially Champagne!

Despite my profound love of Champagne, I can’t bring myself to regularly spend upwards of $40 on a bottle of bubbly; hence why I drink wines like the La Marca Prosecco, Lunetta Prosecco and Roederer Estate Brut more often. But sometimes you just want to drink real Champagne so today we’re tasting an affordable option that blends both my love of Costco and Champagne: The Kirkland Signature Brut, otherwise known as Costco Champagne!

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Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Review

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Kirkland Signature 2011 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Review

I’m perennially tempted and intrigued by Costco’s Kirkland Signature wines so I thought I might give the Kirkland Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2011 a try. Alexander Valley is the northernmost part of Sonoma County and is known for producing Cabernet’s that are slightly softer and more elegant in style.

It’s generally cooler temperatures produce a different Cabernet than you get in Napa, where wines are often riper, fruitier and more tannic. Often I find myself more inclined to drink Cabernet that is less fruity with good balance and acidity and Alexander Valley fits the bill at a better price point. Several notable wineries you might recognize produce sought after Cabernet’s from Alexander Valley including Silver Oak, Jordan and Lancaster Estate.

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Dr. Wagner Riesling Review

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I don’t drink many Rieslings, mostly because I’m not a huge fan of sweetness in my wines. Rieslings are however considered to be amongst the greatest age-worthy white wines, and they aren’t always very sweet, if at all. I very much enjoyed a Riesling recently while visiting Long Island Wine Country at Paumanok Vineyards so when I spotted the Dr. Wagner Riesling Kabinett at my local Costco I decided to give it a try.

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Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc | Costco Wine Reviews

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Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc | Costco Wine Reviews

Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc

Chances are that you’ve either seen or know of the Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. It’s usually prominently displayed in every supermarket wine section across across America. So today at The Fermented Fruit my mission of unearthing the wine bargains we’re all searching for continues. I love these missions; and I love Sauvignon Blanc too.

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La Marca Prosecco | Understated & Elegant

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La Marca Prosecco Review | Understated & Elegant

La Marca Prosecco

Perhaps taking a cue from the success of Veuve Clicquot’s inescapable bright orange label, the La Marca Prosecco boasts an elegant and eye catching blue label which certainly stands out amongst a sea of wine labels. But we mustn’t get too distracted by pretty labels and well executed marketing! What’s behind the label and inside the bottle is far more important.

I was intrigued to learn that the La Marca is the only Prosecco producer from Veneto, Italy to have earned the honorable distinction of “Top 100 Wines of the Year” for it’s Prosecco by Wine Spectator. This leads me to believe that the La Marca Prosecco could very well have some serious potential. Now let’s investigate the La Marca Prosecco…

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J Pinot Gris Review | J Vineyards & Winery

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J Pinot Gris Review | J Vineyards & Winery

J Pinot Gris

This summer in Washington D.C. has been surprisingly mild and beautiful – which for me translates to being unusually conducive to patio wine sipping. Such opportunities call for a wine that is crisp and refreshing, but my favorite sippers are those with a bit of depth and complexity to keep things interesting.

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Lunetta Prosecco | Top Sparkling Wines | Costco Wine Review

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Lunetta Prosecco | Top Sparkling Wines | Costco Wine Review

Lunetta Prosecco

There could never be enough good Champagne alternatives in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong…I’d be happy to drink in its sunshine all the time, but for those of us born without a trust fund we must look to places outside of the Champagne like California, Spain, other wine growing regions of France or in the case of the Lunetta Prosecco: Italy.

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