We’re Calling It: This $12 Bargain Bottle of Red at Costco Is the Wine of Summer

Fresh, fruit-forward reds you can drink chilled have been all the rage for a few years now. And while I’ve certainly never seen any hipster glou-glou reds (natural wine-lover slang for refreshing reds meant to be drunk young and often chilled) at my local Costco, there are some great values to be found in lighter-style reds that would be delightful with a little chill. The warehouse has the best price I’ve seen on Oyster Bay’s Marlborough Pinot Noir, at $11.89, so you’ll want to drink it all summer long.

New Zealand has become so well-known for its signature zesty, grapefruit bomb Sauvignon Blancs that we sometimes forget they grow other grapes there, too! In Marlborough, NZ’s most famous wine growing region, grapes get to bask in a magical combination of copious sunshine and relatively cool temperatures. This allows grapes to develop lots of flavor (what we wine nerds call phenolic ripeness) without becoming overripe, which can make wine taste flabby, flat, or overly alcoholic. 

Oyster Bay’s Pinot Noir has loads of punchy tart cherry and just-ripe blackberry fruit flavors, a touch of oak spice on the nose, and, most importantly, plenty of acidity, which will keep it feeling refreshing in the summer heat. While it’s light in texture, its flavors are pure and intense. This also makes it a great candidate for serving on the cooler side, as cooling something down tends to dull its flavors just a bit. Those cherry and blackberry flavors will still be just as prominent — even when the wine is chilled!

I would drink this cool but not ice-cold; if you’re keeping it in the fridge, take it out about 30 minutes before you sit down for dinner, and it should be perfect. It would be fantastic with grilled sausages or salmon.

Find it in stores: Oyster Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir $11.89 for 750 milliliters, which is the lowest price I’ve seen.

Have you tried this red wine from Costco? Tell us about it in the comments.