This summer will mark the ten year anniversary of my move to Texas, which is hard to believe on many levels. First, until moving to the Lone Star State, for the entirety of my adult life, I had never lived more than 50 miles from an ocean (I guess one could consider the Gulf of Mexico an ocean, but you get my point). Second, Houston is a terrible place to be a cyclist. It is completely and utterly flat and not particularly picturesque, and then there is the traffic. I could go on, but I plan on getting a ride in today and I don’t want to make myself too depressed. And third, without getting too much into it, let’s just say that the prevailing political climate here in the state does not really mesh that well with my own.
Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly a lot of positives about living in southeast Texas. First, I find the climate appealing. Sure, the summers are brutal: hot, humid, hot, and relentless (yes, I know I said hot twice), but the other four months are pretty tame (if you choose to forget about the occasional hurricane). Also, while I certainly consider Philadelphia (our previous home) a great food town, Houston has few rivals when it comes to the quality, quantity, and diversity of its culinary options.
And then there is the wine. Houston is a pretty fantastic city for its wine options as well. While independent wine merchants are indeed scarce, there are many large retailers within a short drive and my local supermarket (I love my H-E-B) has a pretty fantastic wine department.
Honestly, though, when we moved here a decade ago, I was likely most looking forward to the fact that one can purchase wine at a Costco in Texas. I realize that for the vast majority of the people in this country, that is no big deal, but current and past denizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania know what I mean; in Pennsylvania, one can only buy wine (and liquor–beer is another issue onto itself) from the state-run Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB).
And the PLCB is an unmitigated disaster. Current residents of the Commonwealth would no doubt take issue with that statement, but I have long held that most wine lovers in the state have suffer from Stockholm Syndrome when it comes to the PLCB, due to the occasional bone (by way of a great deal) thrown their way.
But I digress.
The other day, I was in my local Costco and, on a whim, I decided to buy every Kirkland brand wine available, 13 in total. Today, I present the sparkling wines, which like almost all of the wines I tried, were pretty good and stellar values.
2025 Kirkland Signature Moscato d’Asti, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $7. Heavy Bottle (610g; 21.5oz). Under screw cap. 100% Moscato. While at Costco, I considered not buying this when I went on a somewhat irrational Kirkland Brand Buying Binge, but in the end, I said “What the heck?” I knew, if nothing else, my mother-in-law would love it (and I nailed that assessment, bee-tee-dubs). Interesting that it under a screw cap–I think this is the first “real” sparkling that has been closed thusly (checks notes) but I have no idea, actually. Quite pale, with a decided green tint, in the glass with that classic Moscato nose of tropical fruit with plenty of pear and peach. Lovely. The palate is exactly what one would expect from a DOCG Moscato: sweet, tart, fruity, and lively. If you love your Moscato, this is for you. Very Good. 89 Points.
NV Kirkland Signature Asolo Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry, Veneto, Italy: Retail $9. Very Heavy Bottle (710g; 25.0oz). 100% Glera. This is not your everyday Prosecco that lines the shelves of whatever grocery store in whatever corner of the world. This is a DOCG Prosecco, and as I wrote a few years ago, that “G” makes all the difference. Without mansplaining, this is the designation for “better” Proseccos, its fruit coming from the designated better land. And while this Kirkland Prosecco will not be mistaken for one of the best wines from the region, it is noticeably better than the vast majority of wines with “Prosecco” on the label found on supermarket shelves. Good fruit (both citrus and tree), a touch of honey, and a slight hint of salinity characterize the nose. The palate is also quite nice with plenty of fruit, a nice tartness, and just a touch of sweetness. While I understand that Extra Dry (slightly sweeter than Brut) is the tradition in the region, I would like to see this with a bit less added sugar. Very Good. 89 Points.
2024 Kirkland Signature Prosecco Rosé Extra Dry, Veneto, Italy: Retail $8. Heavy Bottle (but really darned good for a sparkling wine! 635g; 22.3oz). 85% Glera, 15% Pinot Nero–I am guessing on the varietal composition, as I could not find it online. Again, another solid effort for a Kirkland wine, and solidly under ten bucks. As one would expect, more of a red fruit vibe here (as compared to the DOCG Brut), both on the nose and the palate, with additional notes of melon. Once again, this is an Extra Dry, so it carries some extra sugar along with it, which, frankly, I don’t think it needs, but who am I? Still, a surprisingly lovely quaff and worth a trip to that huge warehouse place. Very Good. 88 Points.
NV Kirkland Signature Champagne Brut, Champagne, France: Retail $24. Exceedingly Heavy Bottle (918g; 32.3oz). 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier, 15% Chardonnay. A couple of things have changed since the last time I tried a bottle of Kirkland Champagne. First, they have changed the bottle shape, which is now both heavier and impossible to fit into a standard wine rack. The wine is also more expensive, a full 25% mark-up, which, given Costco’s determination to maintain prices across the board, is a bit surprising. Brilliant straw in the glass with plenty of fruit, mostly peach and pear at the fore, with some lime in the background, and a hint of that baked croissant goodness. The palate is fruity, tart, and well-balanced, with a brief hint of sweetness on the mid-palate. An above-average finish confirms that this is indeed a solid value. Excellent. 90 Points.
the drunken cyclist 