Costco’s wine selection changes regularly, but one thing stays the same: Its prices tend to beat those at the LCBO. Here are the smartest buys right now across a range of styles. Just bear in mind Costco shelf prices don’t include tax and bottle deposit, while LCBO tags do. To make it easy, the prices listed here are all in.
NV Gemma di Luna Moscato Vino Spumante Dolce, Piedmont, Italy
($16.01 Costco, $16.95 LCBO)
This sparkling Moscato, with its fine, persistent bubbles and striking purity, bursts with papaya, orange, white peach and mango aromas — like a bowlful of freshly sliced fruit. The attack is crisp and bright — a sheer wash of tropical and citrusy goodness that enters, expands, arcs and recedes. A short but clean, dry-edged finish balances the sweetness of this dolce style (Italian for “sweet”). Whether enjoyed as an afternoon cocktail or an indulgent end to a meal — especially with triple-cream brie or vanilla panna cotta — this wine is a gem. (7.5% alc., 73 g/L sugar)
2024 Albert Bichot Chablis Réserve de l‘Orangerie, Burgundy, France
($30.70 Costco, $32.95 LCBO)
For something upscale, this classic Chablis delivers. Textbook aromas of wet stones and crushed oyster shell transport you straight to the seashore. Then that coy, allusive fragrance leads to a silky slip of vinosity that builds in intensity, depth and quiet volume before tapering slowly and leaving the palate seasoned with sea salt. Poised and resonant, this expression of northern Burgundy pairs very well with fish or seafood. But it can be just as satisfying sipped as an aperitif, with or without a few slices of Comté. (12.0% alc. 3 g/L sugar)
NV Saintly The Good Sauvignon Blanc, VQA Ontario
($19.40 Costco, $19.95 LCBO)
This bottle opens with the aromatic intensity you’d expect from sassy, New World Sauvignon Blanc. Yet, there’s a stony savouriness that seems to nod to Loire Valley expressions of the variety. Each glass layers lime leaf, green mango and a cool flint on the nose and palate along with a touch of grapefruit pith. The result is a sun-kissed, versatile wine that works well with everything from a bowl of tortilla chips and guacamole to Thai curries to warm goat cheese timbales on lightly dressed greens. (12.5% alc., 4 g/L sugar)
2024 Speck Brothers Family Tree “The Goat Lady” Chardonnay, VQA Niagara Peninsula
($16.01 Costco, $16.95 LCBO)
If you enjoy wooded Chardonnay with lots of toasty, nutty notes and a rich, baked apple centre, this is your wine. Because that’s exactly how it tastes. The fragrance calls to mind spiced praline followed by a flush of fresh flavour: apple crisp, pralines and cream laced with nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. Well-made, well-balanced and well-priced, this bottle is an easy win that tastes perfect this time of year. Pour it with a nibble of local cheddar or a bowl of poutine and be happy. (13% alc. 7 g/L sugar)
2021 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany, Italy
($28.44 Costco, $29.95 LCBO)
This flagship bottle from Ruffino, a well-known winery in Tuscany, starts with considerable complexity on the nose. Cherries, dried earth and roasted mushroom mingle with hints of dried oregano and pink peppercorn. Then comes the full-bodied swath of flavour. The ample fruit tastes regal and bright with bold cherry scored with balsamic, dried fig and a touch of tomato leaf. There’s an unmistakable, authoritative quality here. Serious wine at a reasonable price, this is the bottle to elevate a meat lover’s or mushroom pizza. (14% alc., 2 g/L sugar)
2023 El Esteco Don David Reserve Malbec, Calchaquí Valley, Salta, Argentina
($17.14 Costco, $18 LCBO)
Made from fruit grown at 1,800 metres above sea level, where the grapes develop thick skins, this is an intense red wine of structure and complexity. In the glass, aromas of muddled blackberry, black coffee, toasted tobacco and bitter chocolate lead to a bold, mouth-filling crush of dark fruit with savoury undertones — black olive, cacao, cedar and leather — all framed by firm tannins. Excellent choice for red meat — especially a flavourful cut such as grilled flank steak, cooked medium-rare and sliced into strips. (14% alc., 3 g/L sugar)
