Why this bottle of sparkling wine might be Costco’s best wine deal

At just $8 for each bottle, this Prosecco punches well above its price.

Walk into your local Costco, and the odds are high you’ll leave with a year’s supply of cashews, enough olive oil to fill a bucket, and a cheese wheel the size of a manhole cover. But savvy shoppers know Costco is more than just a resource for bulk groceries — it’s also an excellent place to score great deals on wine.

From Napa Valley Cabernets to New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, Costco’s private-label Kirkland Signature brand offers a wide range of wines, and its bottles often deliver the best value in the membership warehouse’s beverage department. One Kirkland Signature sparkling wine has become especially famous among shoppers for its shockingly low price, high quality, and versatile flavor profile. 

The Kirkland Signature Prosecco is a light, crisp bottle of bubbly available for around $8. A sommelier named it one of her five favorite wines from Costco in a conversation with Food & Wine, and shoppers on Reddit make it clear that the Prosecco is one of the most popular wines among customers. A closer look at its production and details confirms that it’s hard to beat the value in this bottle of bubbly.

What is Prosecco?

Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine that, by law, hails from specific regions in Northeastern Italy and must be composed of at least 85% Glera grapes. Glera is a thin-skinned green grape known for high yields, good acidity, and a flavor profile rich in fruit and floral notes, including apples, pears, melons, and white flowers.

Related: This $50 XO Cognac From Costco Is One of the Best Deals in Spirits Right Now

Unless you want to offend the French, it’s important to note that Prosecco is not “Italian Champagne.” Champagne is a protected style of wine that must be made in France and is governed by a separate set of rules. Prosecco ferments in large, pressurized tanks before bottling, whereas Champagne undergoes its second fermentation — the process that creates its fine, persistent bubbles — inside the bottle. The former method is faster and less labor-intensive, which is a major reason Prosecco usually costs less than Champagne.

Why Kirkland Signature Prosecco offers great value

Costco’s Prosecco is sourced from Asolo — a town in the Veneto region of Northern Italy — and made from Glera grapes grown close to the Italian Alps. Kirkland Signature wine is white-labeled; it’s made by established wineries, and Costco puts its own branding on the bottles. This helps keep costs low by removing the marketing and distribution markups that inflate the price of comparable products.

Although the Kirkland Signature Prosecco doesn’t display its original producer’s name, its label still offers insight into how it’s made. The bottle of bubbly is labeled DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), Italy’s highest and strictest tier of wine classification. This certification confirms its origin and indicates that it received a thumbs-up from an official government tasting panel, so you can expect it to feature the classic tasting notes of the region’s Prosecco.

Related: The 8 Best Red Wines at Costco for Under $20, According to a Sommelier

Many enthusiastic consumers have endorsed the wine on Reddit, with one fan noting that it provides “excellent quality for the price” and another saying that it “stacks up exceptionally well” against other, more expensive bottles. The Prosecco is especially popular for large events like weddings, where its low cost per bottle adds up to serious savings overall while still delivering a drink guests will love.

Major Prosecco brands like LaMarca and Mionetto are pricier than Kirkland Signature, usually charging around $13 to $16 per bottle — and that’s only if you get a bottle of bubbly classified as DOC, a slightly less stringent label. For La Marca Icon Prosecco DOC, you’ll pay a little over $20, making it almost three times the cost of Costco’s DOCG option.

Fast Facts: Kirkland Signature Prosecco DOCG

ABV: 11%Price: Between $7 and $9Production and origin: Sourced from Asolo in Northern Italy and certified as DOCGFlavor profile: Crisp, fruity, and floral, with notes of citrus and a very subtle sweetness

What’s the best way to enjoy Kirkland Signature Prosecco?

This wine is light and bubbly, with notes of fruit and subtle hints of sweetness. You don’t need to overthink it. When in doubt, just chill the Prosecco, pour it into a glass, and call it a day. 

This sparkling wine works beautifully as an aperitif, especially when paired with fresh salads or salty meats and cheeses. Because the Kirkland Signature Prosecco is so affordable, it’s an especially great choice for spritzes or mimosas. And of course, buying a whole box of bottles is a great idea for your next party.

Read the original article on Food & Wine