Who Is The Winemaker Behind Costco's Kirkland Signature Côtes Du Rhône?

Whether you're a red, white, sweet, or dry wine lover, you probably have one label that you reach for more than others. But have you ever stopped to think about all that happens behind the scenes in order for that wine to arrive on your kitchen counter? Winemakers do much more than stomp grapes and pour the juice into bottles. Throughout each stage of the process, they're making hundreds of decisions on everything from the method and precise timing of the harvest to the grape-crushing speed and the design on the bottle. And one winemaker, in particular, is very good at his job. If you've ever tried Kirkland Signature Côtes du Rhône Villages from Costco, which just so happens to be one of the 11 cheap wines sommeliers highly recommended to us, you'll understand.

As of this writing, Romain Leroy holds the reins of Grandes Serres wine estate in the Rhône Valley region of southern France. The estate produces wines under several appellations, including Côtes du Rhône Villages, the one named on the Kirkland Signature label. If you pick up a bottle from 2024 or 2025, you'll see Romain Leroy credited as the winemaker. For any bottles labeled 2023 or earlier, you'll see Patrick Lesec listed. The good news is that the change of hands didn't seem to affect the wine's taste or quality. In fact, Reverse Wine Snob gave both the 2023 and 2024 vintages an overall rating of 8.3.

Côtes du Rhône wine comes from a blend of grape varieties including Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah. This combination is referred to as a GSM blend, or a "Rhône blend" since the Rhône Valley is known for producing these varieties. As for the taste, Reverse Wine Snob's review of the 2024 vintage revealed that "Tasting the wine reveals great depth with dark, ripe and juicy fruit that is a bit on the tart side, well-integrated spice, licorice and some light earthy notes."

If this description makes you want to try it out for yourself, a 750-milliliter bottle is currently priced under $8 in the warehouse's wine section, where it sits alongside several other Kirkland Signature wines you can buy at Costco. Between September and October, the store typically rolls out a new vintage of this wine. One Reddit reviewer wrote in early September 2026, "Loved it. I'm back today at Costco and bought a case." So, if you haven't already seen the 2025 label at your local Costco, don't worry — you hopefully will soon. And since red wine goes great with cheese, try pairing it with this easy three-cheese Swiss fondue.