costco is the largest retailer of wine in the world, piggyback on their volume, their markup is very slim. Different locations stock different higher end stuff in the glass enclosure in the wood racks, online it is even different.
calwine.com has good prices, they were the only online retailer that matched costco in certain random selections and they have a better variety. For example a 1998 vueve grande dame cost me $125 at costco, they were the only one I could find to be under $130 of the dealers, most were over $150. They still don’t have a huge selection but enough, I was dissapointed that they carry three molly dookers but are out of “carnival of love” which was $80 when they had it. Nectar of the gods.
Costco also has exclusive rights to cameron hughes, good stuff in the $10-20 range.
Personally, I have a regional palate, and have yet to find a bordeaux that matches the better CA wines when I blind taste. I have some moutons aging that i have high hopes for, but the holy grail for this econimic downturn is a 1973 Stag’s Leap Faye, I’ve seen dozens of them in the private locker’s at Morton’s steakhouse, it’s a matter of time before they find there way to the auction houses.
Lastly, my wine tip of the season for taking to holiday parties. Ghost Pines Merlot, 13.99 at costco in the wood crate area ($20 in grocery stores). As bold as any cab, it will smoke anything under $30 in blind tasting. I loved it and I usually dislike merlot. I went to a blind sub $30 tasting with 25 bottles, it didn’t just win, it pulvurized the competition, 23 first place votes out of 25 votes from a varied group, newbies to experts. I’ve heard similar stories from others. It won’t get 2 buck chuck buzz amongst the masses because it is in a more crowded field, but if you are a wino or are going to dinner at a wino’s house, bring one.
