Hi! I’m Sara, and I like wine. That’s it! That’s all you need to know. JK! I grew up in Oregon and my love of wine started after college when I started wine tasting in Oregon and Washington and learning about what I liked, how it was made and loving the experience of visiting wineries with friends. These days we are stationed in Columbus, Mississippi so wine tasting is pretty much impossible. Mississippi also doesn’t allow for direct shipment of alcohol, so wine memberships/shipments are also not an option. Instead, I’ve learned how to pick good wine at a great price point on my trips to Birmingham at Costco.

Little fun fact, did you know that Costco is the largest seller of wine in the US? There’s a reason for that – and it’s good wine at a good price. SO, let’s get started. 

A couple of things to keep in mind when you arrive at the wine section… there’s boxed bottles (lower prices) and then nicer bottles in the wood display cases – don’t skip these. This is where you can find some hidden Kirkland brands. Every Costco is different, so if you can’t find the ones I’m recommending, I’ll give you some things to look for when picking it out. 

  • When spotting Costco wine the first thing I look at is if it has any rated points – if it’s been rated over 90 points in the last few years, I’m definitely going to get a bottle to try. Sometimes it will be on the bottle (their Malbec and Chiani both have them on them this year) or you’ll have to read the label. Either way it’s a sure sign it’s good.
  • The second thing I look for is if it’s a single vineyard or multiple. Typically, a single vineyard is going to produce a better all-around wine and unless it’s has points I might not get that. Not to say multiple vineyard wines can’t be good (insert my RIDE OR DIE Acrobat white wine here – it’s also at Costco and you can thank me later). 

Because you’re really just here for the wine and probably don’t care that much about the notes – here are my tried and true recs:

Kirkland Rosé – if you can find this GET IT. Think Whispering Angel (insert Heather McMahon voice) but half the price. It’s $7.99, you might as well just get a case. 

Kirkland Châteauneuf-du-Pape – truthfully I don’t know what this means other than it scored 93(!) points, it’s imported from Italy and it’s just under $20. That’s a yes for me. 

Kirkland Chianti Classico – I couldn’t find this this time around but I bought 4 bottles last time I was at Costco – without previously trying it – because it was like $10 and scored 92 points. My hunch was right, it’s STUPID easy to drink. I’m definitely disappointed I couldn’t restock this trip. 

Kirkland Barolo – $19.99 Gold Medal award 2 years in a row and 93 points. Ummm why did I only buy 2 of these, shoot. 

Kirkland Malbec – Let me be the first to tell you, Malbec is like my least likely order for a glass of wine at a restaurant. HOWEVER I saw this in store last time and bought 2 bottles because of the 92 points and I’m SO glad I did. It was so easy to drink, so smooth and my husband really liked it too. Very disappointed it wasn’t in stock this week.

Meet Sara


Both my husband and I grew up in Oregon and appreciate all that the outdoors have to offer in the Pacific Northwest. We met our senior year at Oregon State University and have been together since.

Over the years we’ve spent time at Laughlin Air Force Base, then McChord Air Force Base and now we’re here in Columbus. Columbus is where we decided to ditch the kidless life and grow our family by adding 2 girls and also 2 labradoodles. I LOVE food and exploring new towns so we’ve taken full advantage of living near Nashville, New Orleans, Memphis, Birmingham and more. I work here in Columbus as a School Counselor for a middle school and love that I’ve been able to make so many connections within the community.

In my free time you can find me on long walks, trying out a new recipe in the kitchen or planning my next bravo/wine night with the girls. The Air Force has brought us many things but the ultimate gift has been those friends that have become family along the way!

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