As many of you know, this summer marks the ten-year anniversary of my move to Texas, which will soon make it second on the list of states where I have lived the longest. A fact that would have made me laugh out loud just over ten years ago. The state that tops that list, Pennsylvania (16 years), is the one that we all consider “home” (or at least I do).
Since moving to the Lone Star State, there have been many things that I miss about living in the Commonwealth: living in such a historic city, Fall weather, the Philly bike riding community, the energy of living in what I believe to be this country’s best city, and the relative proximity of both New York City and Washington, D.C. I could go on, but those are certainly the highlights.
There are also many aspects of living in Philadelphia that I don’t miss: Winter, trying to find parking, and above all else, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB).
For those not familiar, Pennsylvania is a liquor-control state, where an “independent” state agency is charged with virtually all aspects of the alcohol industry, including all sales within the Commonwealth. When I lived in Philly, I wrote about the PLCB often, with as much disdain as I could muster, as I believe it is poorly managed, rife with corruption, and just flat out bad for wine consumers in the state.
Avoid the rabbit hole, avoid the rabbit hole…
As you may imagine, I could go on about my (apparently) still rather raw feelings about the PLCB, but I won’t. I have already spent way too much on therapy and that is all in my past. Although, I do plan to be in Philly at the end of August…
Avoid the rabbit hole, avoid the rabbit hole…
The reason I bring all of this up (yes, there is a reason)? The “system” in Pennsylvania had some unintended consequences, at least for me. At the top of that list? I revered Costco. At the time, the behemoth retailer was ramping up their wine program, becoming one of the largest purchasers of wine in the country. But due to the stupid PLCB, Costco stores in PA (and for whatever reason, those near and across the border of the state), did not sell wine (or beer, but who cares about beer?).
Thus, on every trip, virtually anywhere in the country, I insisted that we stop at just about every Costco I saw so that I could peruse the wine section. I rarely bought any, but I saw Costco as a beacon of sorts, everything that was good about not living in Pennsylvania.
Since moving to Texas, where we have a Costco less than three miles from us, the allure of its wine section has certainly subsided (since there are plenty of stores that sell wine, including supermarkets–imagine that!). I do still make it a point to pass by the wine whenever I am in a Costco, but it is no longer an obsession (thank you Dr, Ellis).
The last time I was there, though, I did buy every one of the Kirkland (Costco’s brand) wine on offer. A few weeks ago, I published my reviews of the sparkling wines, and today I offer up the whites (and one rosé).
2025 Kirkland Signature Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France: Retail $9. Heavy Bottle (654g; 23.0oz). 39% Grenache, 26% Cinsault, 18% Syrah, 17% Vermentino. One of the bottles of Kirkland that I bought on a whim one day, and this is pretty darned good, I have to say. Full of fruit and bright, tangy acidity. Fairly light in color, but probably on the darker end of provençal rosés, this wine is really a fantastic representation of the region and, in my opinion, a great deal at under ten bucks. Good fruit, balanced, tart, along with some depth, particularly after a bit of time in the glass. I will go back and buy more–Houston summer has already started! Excellent. 90 Points.
2025 Kirkland Signature Sauvignon Blanc Ti Point, Marlborough, NZ: Retail $7. Very Responsible Bottle (425g; 15.0oz). Under screw cap. I do not drink much Sauvignon Blanc. At. All. When I do? It is almost always Sancerre, and it is virtually never from New Zealand. Ever. I find the wines from NZ to be overly grassy, overly fruity, and overly laden with that cat pee thing it has going on. Well, there is certainly plenty of that here, but it is not the feature. Sure, it is tart, yes it is fruity (grapefruit for days), and the fresh cut grass is as present as ever. But this is one of the more balanced NZ SBs that I have tried (full disclosure in case you missed it: I hardly touch them). How to grade? I doubt I would ever buy one, no matter the price, but would I drink this or, say, a Lite beer from Miller at my weekly poker game? Probably this? Very Good. 89 Points.
2024 Kirkland Signature Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux, France: Retail $7. Very Responsible Bottle (411g; 14.4oz). Under agglomerated stopper (non-DIAM). 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sémillon. I believe this is the first vintage of this wine for the Kirkland wine empire, and it is a pretty solid one at that. Curious, at least to me, that this was the next step in Costco conquering the wine world, as white wines in Bordeaux are well below an afterthought (less than 10% of Bordeaux wine is dry still white) and I doubt that the U.S. consumers even know about it. Quite pale in color, with a lovely nose of Bosc pear, tropical notes (banana, pineapple), and a white floral note that, at least to me, screams Bordeaux. The palate is demure, even shy, particularly when fresh out of the fridge, but as it warmed, it showed increasingly more depth and character. Tart, delicate fruit, nice balance, this is, again, on the quiet side, but it is really nice. And for seven bucks? Seven?? Excellent. 90 Points.
2024 Kirkland Signature Chardonnay, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $8. Responsible Bottle (475g; 16.7oz). Under screw cap. This is now the sixth(?) Kirkland wine I have tried in rather rapid succession (no, I am not being paid for this) and, well, this currently sits at the bottom of the list, quality-wise, at least for me. That is a hidden complement, by the way, since I thought that all of these wines would be at the bottom of the list (yes, I realize that is impossible, but it was a bit of a joke). A solid yellow, even close to golden in the glass with plenty of lemon on the nose, but also plenty of oak. In fact, I would classify this as rather high in oak. Yeah. A bit of a throwback here to “classic” California Chardonnay. The palate is also, well, oaky. Sure, there is plenty of lemon curd, weight, a touch of intrigue, and a hint of yellow flower, but this wine is about the wood. So, if you are not a fan of the “traditional style” of American Chardonnay, you might want to take a pass on this one. Me? I don’t mind the oak, but there is a bunch here, rendering it a bit flabby (the acidity struggles to keep up). Good. 86 Points.
2023 Kirkland Signature Chablis, Burgundy, France: Retail $15. Very Responsible Bottle (411g; 14.5oz). Under DIAM3. 100% Chardonnay. Another solid buy from the Kirkland brand. I do not drink a ton of village Chablis since the 1er Crus from the appellation are still relatively affordable, but this is a solid effort. Brilliant straw to yellow in the glass with some nice tree fruit (peach, pear, yellow apple) on the nose. There is also a touch of honeysuckle and a bit of wet rock. The palate is fairly big, surprisingly, with plenty of fruit–it even comes off as a bit sweet. A round and weighty mouthfeel is also surprising, given the appellation, but I imagine this was made with the American market in mind, and the French seem to assume that we all want our wines on steroids. For me, that’s not a Chablis, but as I said, it is a solid effort and a good value. Very Good. 89 Points.
the drunken cyclist 