Costco, Target, and Trader Joe's Private Label Budget Wines Compared

Wine Tasting 1 — We set out to find which of these budget-friendly retailers makes the best wine. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

2019-04-02T17:27:00Z

Costco, Target, and Trader Joe's — each known for serving up great products at a low price point — offer their own take on low-cost wine.
In a blind taste test, we had 20 Insider Inc. employees taste wines by the three retailers.
We kept things as consistent as we could across all three brands — the test included a cabernet sauvignon, pinot grigio, and rosé from all stores that had them on offer.
At the time of this tasting, Costco's Kirkland brand wasn't selling a rosé, and Trader Joe's Charles Shaw had produced only an organic rosé.
Each wine costs less than $10, and the cheapest wine cost $2.99.
Our tasters only knew the color of the wine they were tasting — not the varietal, price, or even the companies any of them came from.
After ranking, it was clear that Trader Joe's Charles Shaw pinot grigio was the crowd favorite.

Millennials love wine so much that they're changing the way it's being made, sold, marketed, and packaged.

Millennials are changing the wine industry

Source: Business Insider

More and more big brands are looking to create great wine for a low cost, defying the longstanding mentality of "the bigger the price-tag, the better the bottle."

Source: Business Insider

So we turned to three retailers known for their low prices — Costco, Target, and Trader Joe's — to see how their private-label wine stacked up against each other.

Our 20 Insider Inc. tasters ranged from self-proclaimed wine experts to self-proclaimed wine amateurs, and they tasted a total of eight wines: a cabernet sauvignon and pinot grigio from each retailer, and a rosé from Target and Trader Joe's, since Costco didn't have one on offer at the time of our tasting.

Tasters were asked to rank the wines on nine criteria: clarity, smell, first impression based on taste, breadth of taste, perceived price, willingness to drink it again, and willingness to serve it to a guest.

We also asked if any of them would gift any of these bottles, but almost no one said they would — unless it was to someone they didn't like.

To keep the tasting fair, we made it completely blind — which means not only did the tasters not know which wines they were tasting when, they also didn't know which retailers the wines came from at all.

All tasters had access to a Google Form with survey questions about each test cup, and they used their mobile phones to fill it out as they went along.

When properly tasting wines, it's best for the sake of all taste buds involved to start with the lightest wine and work your way to the darkest, so we started with whites.

First up was Trader Joe's Charles Shaw pinot grigio.

Most people thought this wine was clear. And Matthew DeBord, a wine expert and senior correspondent at Business Insider, said clarity is the mark of a good wine.

trader joes pinot grigio clarity — Tasters were asked to rank each wine's clarity on a scale of one to five, five being the clearest. Google Forms

But they were generally split on how much they'd pay for it. This bottle retails for $2.99, and while a quarter of tasters said they'd spend less than $7 on it, another quarter said they'd spend between $12 and $15 on the same bottle of wine.

trader joes pinot grigio price — Tasters were asked how much they would you pay for each bottle of wine. Google Forms

While most tasters said this particular wine smelled faintly like citrus and didn't have a strong smell at all, one taster had a different reaction: "It smells kind of gross, like broccoli." After a sip, though, the majority of tasters said they would drink it again.

One taster described it as "very smooth," while another said, "It’s easy to drink and the flavor doesn’t linger in your mouth too long."

Next up for pinot grigio was Target's The Collection.

In terms of clarity, this wine didn't rank as well as the previous one. And the smell was much worse, according to the group. Tasters said it smelled like wood, wet oak, a marker, and vinegar.

The Collection Target pinot grigio clarity — Tasters were asked to rank each wine's clarity on a scale of one to five, five being the clearest. Google Forms

With "sweet," "bitter," "buttery," and "citrus" notes, according to our tasters, this wine fell short of the one before. Tasters also said this Target varietal had more of a noticeable alcohol taste.

Most people were willing to pay mid-range prices for this wine, though. It retails for $9.99.

target the collection pinot grigio — Tasters were asked how much they would you pay for each bottle of wine. Google Forms

The last pinot grigio we tasted was from Kirkland Signature.

It ranked highly for clarity ...

kirkland pinot grigio clarity — Tasters were asked to rank each wine's clarity on a scale of one to five, five being the clearest. Google Forms

... but after tasting, 27% of tasters said they wouldn't even spend one cent on this bottle. A 1.5-liter bottle retails for $7.89.

price kirkland wine — Tasters were asked how much they would you pay for each bottle of wine. Google Forms

This wine clearly — pun intended — didn't make a good impression.

kirkland first impression — Tasters were asked to rank each wine on first impression on a scale of one to five, five being the best. Google Forms

Some people said they thought it was slightly carbonated. Others said, "It tastes like stagnant pond water" and "This one tastes more like a juice than a wine."

While there were a couple of people who didn't hate it so much, the majority rules on this. Sorry Kirkland, pinot grigio just isn't your strong suit.

Next, we moved onto rosé. First up was Charles Shaw's rosé, the only organic wine of the group.

Trader Joe's Charles Shaw wines — Unlike Charles Shaw's cabernet sauvignon (left) and pinot grigio (right), the only option for Charles Shaw's rosé was organic. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

The clarity ranking here was pretty average, and it made a neutral first impression on our tasters.

first impression charles show rose — Tasters were asked to rank each wine's clarity on a scale of one to five, five being the clearest. Google Forms

Even though it's part of the Two Buck Chuck family, this wine retails for $3.99. Most people said they'd pay in the mid ranges for it.

price TJ organic rose — Tasters were asked how much they would you pay for each bottle of wine. Google Form

One taster, Paige DiFiore, said "The taste is quite weak — it almost tastes like plain water spiked with a shot of wine."

Wine Tasting 32 — Paige DiFiore not pictured here. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Next we tried The Collection rosé.

A lot of people thought this wine was the most cloudy of all — some even thought it tasted cloudy and dry. One person thought it smelled strong and "funky" — not in a good way — while another said it wasn't harsh and didn't attack their nose. Opinions were pretty polarizing here.

target rose — Tasters were asked to rank each wine's clarity on a scale of one to five, five being the clearest. Google Forms

Regardless, most said they would spend $10 or more after tasting. This retails for $9.99.

price target rose — Tasters were asked how much they would you pay for each bottle of wine. Google Forms

DiFiore said this was her favorite — or the "least terrible" as she put it — but she also added, "I still prefer my $5 Barefoot moscato to be honest."

We then transitioned to our last category: red wines.

Trader Joe's Charles Shaw cabernet sauvignon was up first.

Tasters agreed that it's harder to judge the clarity of a darker-colored wine.

To fix this issue, DeBord suggested holding up the glass against something white like a piece of paper. After that, tasters thought this wine was fairly clear.

tjs cabernet clarity — Tasters were asked to rank each wine's clarity on a scale of one to five, five being the clearest. Google Forms

This wine yielded some pretty differing results across the board, but most tasters said they'd pay mid-range prices for it. This retails for $2.99.

TJs caberbet price — Tasters were asked how much they would you pay for each bottle of wine. Google Forms

One taster said, "It smells like a mix of butter and vinegar," while another said, "It’s actually slightly sweet. Hearty. I dig it!" The butter profile was a popular opinion with responses like "Butterrrr" and "It legit smells like butter," but one taster said that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

When it came to the taste, someone reported a "Sharp start. Honestly a bit cardboard-y in terms of the kick." Another taster had a similar reaction: "This is the first one that made me gag a little. It tastes like i shouldn’t be drinking it. I hate it. It tastes savory, sort of like butter that was left in the garbage."

But the results tell a little bit of a different story. Some people actually really liked this wine. One even went so far as to say, "I can definitely see myself drinking this with a lovely Italian meal or any kind of carb really."

tjs cabernet first impression — Tasters were asked to rank each wine on first impression on a scale of one to five, five being the best. Google Forms

Next we tasted Target's cabernet sauvignon.

Clarity was fairly split on this one, but most thought this was cloudy enough to rank a one on the scale.

target cabernet clarity — Tasters were asked to rank each wine's clarity on a scale of one to five, five being the clearest. Google Forms

While 56% of responders said they would pay between $16 and $25 for the bottle, 17% said they wouldn't even spend one cent. This retails for $9.99.

target cabernet price — Tasters were asked how much they would you pay for each bottle of wine. Google Forms

And tasters were spit on the first impression as well.

target cabernet first impression — Tasters were asked to rank each wine on first impression on a scale of one to five, five being the best. Google Forms

Taste responses ranged from "Truly disgusting. Tastes like it could be poison. I hate it so much. The aftertaste is so sour and tangy" to "It's earthy," which was the most positive review. Someone else said it tasted like leather.

When asked if they'd drink it again, the majority of respondents said, "yes." But one taster said, "Please, God, no," along with five other No's. Someone said they'd only serve it to a guest if they were seeking revenge.

Last but not least, we tasted the Kirkland cabernet sauvignon.

Respondents were pretty split on the clarity here. This was definitely one of the cloudier wines in general.

costco cabernet sauv clarity — Tasters were asked to rank each wine's clarity on a scale of one to five, five being the clearest. Google Forms

Opinions also ranged widely — and fairly evenly — across price. A 1.5-liter bottle retails for $7.99.

costco cabernet sauv price — Tasters were asked how much they would you pay for each bottle of wine. google forms

One person wrote, "Mass produced, medicinal," while another wrote, "Ew. It tastes truly rancid. I couldn't take a second sip. It was so bitter." Some people thought this was a pinot noir.

costco cabernet sauv first impressions — Tasters were asked to rank each wine on first impression on a scale of one to five, five being the best. Google Forms

One respondent gave us a pretty great idea of exactly the type of vibe she got from this wine: "This tastes like every boyfriend I’ve ever had: amazing and bright and jammy at first, then takes a sour and dry turn. SO DRY, so unpleasant. At least it's complex and keeps things interesting."

The feedback wasn't all bad, though. Taster Kevin Reilly said this was his favorite red.

All of our tasters were anxious for the big reveal. They wanted to see if their guesses were correct, what the price point of the wines were ...

... and most of all, which their favorites turned out to be.

After the reveal, our tasters had the chance to re-try — or just drink more of — the ones they liked.

Everyone was chatting about their expectations and how they couldn't believe some of the wines were from these well-known retailers.

Although it wasn't unanimous, a number of tasters were surprised with how much they liked the wine selection from Kirkland Signature. Taster Rose Lee called the label's cabernet sauvignon "sublime," and Anthony Fisher said it was his favorite.

Corina Pintado was also pleasantly surprised. She said, "I have never had Kirkland wine, and I don't shop at Costco at all, but I was thoroughly impressed with their wine and plan on buying bottles in bulk."

Overall, the responses varied just as taste buds do.

The reds and rosés ranked lower overall than the whites ...

... but of the reds, Kirkland and Trader Joe's were the favorites. Of the rosés, Target's The Collection was the favorite.

And judging by overall responses and comments after tasting, Trader Joe's pinot grigio reigned supreme overall.

We did a blind taste test of cheap wines from Costco, Target, and Trader Joe's, and one of the losers 'tasted like butter that was left in the garbage'

Millennials love wine so much that they're changing the way it's being made, sold, marketed, and packaged.

More and more big brands are looking to create great wine for a low cost, defying the longstanding mentality of "the bigger the price-tag, the better the bottle."

So we turned to three retailers known for their low prices — Costco, Target, and Trader Joe's — to see how their private-label wine stacked up against each other.

Tasters were asked to rank the wines on nine criteria: clarity, smell, first impression based on taste, breadth of taste, perceived price, willingness to drink it again, and willingness to serve it to a guest.

We also asked if any of them would gift any of these bottles, but almost no one said they would — unless it was to someone they didn't like.

To keep the tasting fair, we made it completely blind — which means not only did the tasters not know which wines they were tasting when, they also didn't know which retailers the wines came from at all.

All tasters had access to a Google Form with survey questions about each test cup, and they used their mobile phones to fill it out as they went along.

When properly tasting wines, it's best for the sake of all taste buds involved to start with the lightest wine and work your way to the darkest, so we started with whites.

First up was Trader Joe's Charles Shaw pinot grigio.

Most people thought this wine was clear. And Matthew DeBord, a wine expert and senior correspondent at Business Insider, said clarity is the mark of a good wine.

But they were generally split on how much they'd pay for it. This bottle retails for $2.99, and while a quarter of tasters said they'd spend less than $7 on it, another quarter said they'd spend between $12 and $15 on the same bottle of wine.

While most tasters said this particular wine smelled faintly like citrus and didn't have a strong smell at all, one taster had a different reaction: "It smells kind of gross, like broccoli." After a sip, though, the majority of tasters said they would drink it again.

One taster described it as "very smooth," while another said, "It’s easy to drink and the flavor doesn’t linger in your mouth too long."

Next up for pinot grigio was Target's The Collection.

In terms of clarity, this wine didn't rank as well as the previous one. And the smell was much worse, according to the group. Tasters said it smelled like wood, wet oak, a marker, and vinegar.

With "sweet," "bitter," "buttery," and "citrus" notes, according to our tasters, this wine fell short of the one before. Tasters also said this Target varietal had more of a noticeable alcohol taste.

Most people were willing to pay mid-range prices for this wine, though. It retails for $9.99.

The last pinot grigio we tasted was from Kirkland Signature.

It ranked highly for clarity ...

... but after tasting, 27% of tasters said they wouldn't even spend one cent on this bottle. A 1.5-liter bottle retails for $7.89.

This wine clearly — pun intended — didn't make a good impression.

Some people said they thought it was slightly carbonated. Others said, "It tastes like stagnant pond water" and "This one tastes more like a juice than a wine."

While there were a couple of people who didn't hate it so much, the majority rules on this. Sorry Kirkland, pinot grigio just isn't your strong suit.

Next, we moved onto rosé. First up was Charles Shaw's rosé, the only organic wine of the group.

The clarity ranking here was pretty average, and it made a neutral first impression on our tasters.

Even though it's part of the Two Buck Chuck family, this wine retails for $3.99. Most people said they'd pay in the mid ranges for it.

One taster, Paige DiFiore, said "The taste is quite weak — it almost tastes like plain water spiked with a shot of wine."

Next we tried The Collection rosé.

A lot of people thought this wine was the most cloudy of all — some even thought it tasted cloudy and dry. One person thought it smelled strong and "funky" — not in a good way — while another said it wasn't harsh and didn't attack their nose. Opinions were pretty polarizing here.

Regardless, most said they would spend $10 or more after tasting. This retails for $9.99.

DiFiore said this was her favorite — or the "least terrible" as she put it — but she also added, "I still prefer my $5 Barefoot moscato to be honest."

We then transitioned to our last category: red wines.

Trader Joe's Charles Shaw cabernet sauvignon was up first.

Tasters agreed that it's harder to judge the clarity of a darker-colored wine.

To fix this issue, DeBord suggested holding up the glass against something white like a piece of paper. After that, tasters thought this wine was fairly clear.

This wine yielded some pretty differing results across the board, but most tasters said they'd pay mid-range prices for it. This retails for $2.99.

One taster said, "It smells like a mix of butter and vinegar," while another said, "It’s actually slightly sweet. Hearty. I dig it!" The butter profile was a popular opinion with responses like "Butterrrr" and "It legit smells like butter," but one taster said that's not necessarily a bad thing.

But the results tell a little bit of a different story. Some people actually really liked this wine. One even went so far as to say, "I can definitely see myself drinking this with a lovely Italian meal or any kind of carb really."

Next we tasted Target's cabernet sauvignon.

Clarity was fairly split on this one, but most thought this was cloudy enough to rank a one on the scale.

While 56% of responders said they would pay between $16 and $25 for the bottle, 17% said they wouldn't even spend one cent. This retails for $9.99.

And tasters were spit on the first impression as well.

Taste responses ranged from "Truly disgusting. Tastes like it could be poison. I hate it so much. The aftertaste is so sour and tangy" to "It's earthy," which was the most positive review. Someone else said it tasted like leather.

When asked if they'd drink it again, the majority of respondents said, "yes." But one taster said, "Please, God, no," along with five other No's. Someone said they'd only serve it to a guest if they were seeking revenge.

Last but not least, we tasted the Kirkland cabernet sauvignon.

Respondents were pretty split on the clarity here. This was definitely one of the cloudier wines in general.

Opinions also ranged widely — and fairly evenly — across price. A 1.5-liter bottle retails for $7.99.

One person wrote, "Mass produced, medicinal," while another wrote, "Ew. It tastes truly rancid. I couldn't take a second sip. It was so bitter." Some people thought this was a pinot noir.

One respondent gave us a pretty great idea of exactly the type of vibe she got from this wine: "This tastes like every boyfriend I’ve ever had: amazing and bright and jammy at first, then takes a sour and dry turn. SO DRY, so unpleasant. At least it's complex and keeps things interesting."

The feedback wasn't all bad, though. Taster Kevin Reilly said this was his favorite red.

All of our tasters were anxious for the big reveal. They wanted to see if their guesses were correct, what the price point of the wines were ...

... and most of all, which their favorites turned out to be.

After the reveal, our tasters had the chance to re-try — or just drink more of — the ones they liked.

Everyone was chatting about their expectations and how they couldn't believe some of the wines were from these well-known retailers.

Although it wasn't unanimous, a number of tasters were surprised with how much they liked the wine selection from Kirkland Signature. Taster Rose Lee called the label's cabernet sauvignon "sublime," and Anthony Fisher said it was his favorite.

Corina Pintado was also pleasantly surprised. She said, "I have never had Kirkland wine, and I don't shop at Costco at all, but I was thoroughly impressed with their wine and plan on buying bottles in bulk."

Overall, the responses varied just as taste buds do.

The reds and rosés ranked lower overall than the whites ...

... but of the reds, Kirkland and Trader Joe's were the favorites. Of the rosés, Target's The Collection was the favorite.

And judging by overall responses and comments after tasting, Trader Joe's pinot grigio reigned supreme overall.

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