‘Can it Kirkland?’: Costco Brand Wines Are Actually Great

“Can it Kirkland?” asks the New Age band The Never Ending Fall in their viral Tiktok series that compares nam- brand spirits and Costco’s private label via their own (less rigorous) version of blind tasting. 

The group came up with the idea—and insanely catchy jingle—after discovering the beloved brand’s “ridiculously oversized, extremely cheap bottles of liquor” while trying to save money on their booze bill, they told The Seattle Times.

If it isn’t already obvious, the question “Can it Kirkland?” is a compliment to Costco, indicating that the deal lover’s favorite is just as good, if not better than the originals. 

The members of the Never Ending Fall aren’t the only ones blown away by the low prices and high-quality of Costco’s beverage selection: Wine Enthusiast’s critics agree. 

“Selections are uniformly excellent across price points, regions and categories, but Kirkland brand table wines are some of the best bottles you can get at retail, bar none,” says Danielle Callegari, a Wine Enthusiast writer-at-large who reviews Italy.

A Critic’s Favorite

It could be the tasting methods, but despite the mutual appreciation, our critics’ assessment of Costco wines do differ from the band.

According to the group, the boxed version of Kirkland Signature Cabernet 2023 cannot Kirkland, compared to Black Box. But Wine Enthusiast California Reviewer Tonya Pitts was impressed by that submission in a lineup of at least seven comparable wines. “I thought this is another slam dunk for the brand,” she says. “I would not be surprised if it is in the buggy for someone’s Costco run for the week.” 

Pitts also wasn’t surprised that this outstanding glass came from the bargain-friendly brand. “The more I taste the wines, the more I understand the fascination with the wine brands and why everyone who drinks higher-end wines drink these too,” she says. 

She’s far from alone. Callegari is “extra super pumped about Costco wines,” she says. “I am a die hard Costco devotee. I have been a member since 2001. That’s right—my vintage year is public knowledge so you can do the math on how early in my life I started praying at this altar.”

While Callegari loves the brand’s hiring practices, business modeland, especially, their hot dog, she says, “their wine and spirits section is where I will have my ashes spread, thanks largely to the work of now-retired living legend [and Former Costco Wine Buyer] Annette Alvarez-Peters.”

Alvarez-Peters, who ran the wine buying program for 15 years, solidified the retail giant’s reputation for its accessible, affordable and high-quality beverage program. A great example, says Callegari is “their Tuscan Estate Bottled & Cellared red…such a good deal you should be worried you might have given up a piece of your soul without realizing it.”