Who Makes Costco's Kirkland Signature Boxed Wine?

For wine lovers on a budget, Costco offers a surprisingly impressive lineup of affordable vino. In addition to bottles from popular name brand wineries, you'll find a slew of varietals boasting Costco's own Kirkland Signature label, including a cult-loved selection of wine in a box. When it comes to the latter offerings, in particular, plenty of reviewers seem to share this Redditor's opinion: "As far as box wine goes it's pretty top shelf."

There are a bunch of name brands hiding behind the Kirkland Signature label, and the same goes for its wine, both bottled and boxed. So, who actually makes the boxed wine bearing the Kirkland name? Hush-hush though it is, Costco connoisseurs speculate that it's none other than winemaking behemoth Gallo (formerly known as E. & J. Gallo Winery). Internet sleuths cite registry information from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for the connection to the producer, and it makes sense. The family-owned business is the largest winery by volume and market share, accounting for 3% of the world's vino supply, per Wine International Association. It boasts more than 100 subsidiary brands in its expansive portfolio, including budget-friendly favorites Apothic and La Marca, so producing a Kirkland brand product certainly wouldn't be out of its wheelhouse.

Whether Gallo or Kirkland, a pour of Costco's boxed wine by any name would taste just as sweet — and be as light on your wallet. Which explains why the retailer's boxed offerings were quick to earn a cult following when they originally appeared on shelves as early as 2018. Kirkland currently markets two wine-in-a-box varieties: a white Pinot Grigio and a red Cabernet Sauvignon. Both appear to hail from California and both seem to have won over even the most skeptical sippers due to their taste and value. 

"I'm not a fan of Pinot Grigio, but I actually like the Kirkland box of PG," wrote one Reddit user in a thread on r/Costco. "I was super surprised — even had to admit to my [mother-in-law] that she was right. That was painful." Another Redditor remarked, "I've only had the cab but it's solid, especially for the price." Regarding the price, the Kirkland Cabernet Sauvignon is available in a 3-liter box and costs just under $17. With four bottles' worth of fermented grape juice inside, that comes out to about $4.25 per bottle. The boxed Pinot, meanwhile, currently retails at about $16.70, making each "bottle" inside cost around $4.17. Not bad for what many consider a quality sip, especially if it really is produced by the internationally beloved giant that is Gallo. Of course, boxed wine is significantly cheaper due to reduced packaging costs, not because it's a bottom-of-the-barrel product. So if you're willing to ditch the glass, these Kirkland options are worth a try — whichever winery is behind them.