What Sommeliers Actually Pick at Costco and Trader Joe’s (and How to Taste Like One)

A sommelier is a trained wine professional who selects, recommends, and serves wine, usually in restaurants, hotels, and wine businesses. The word comes from French. A sommelier’s job combines tasting skill, wine knowledge, and service: choosing the list, pairing wine with food, and guiding guests to a bottle they will enjoy.

“Sommelier” is a job title, not a protected credential, but many sommeliers certify through the Court of Master Sommeliers, which runs four levels:

• Introductory Sommelier. The CMS deductive tasting method, service standards, and a base of wine theory.
• Certified Sommelier. Tested on tasting, theory, and tableside service.
• Advanced Sommelier. Written theory, verbal tasting, and a practical service exam.
• Master Sommelier Diploma. Oral theory, a blind tasting of six wines, and a practical service exam.

Other routes exist too, such as the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and regional programs. In practice, the title means someone whose job is to taste carefully and match wine to people and food, which is exactly why their grocery picks are worth reading.

Two published sommelier picks at Costco come in under $10: the Kirkland Signature Côtes du Rhône at about $7.50, chosen in Food & Wine as a reliable crowd-pleaser, and the Gérard Bertrand Kosmos red blend at about $9.89, chosen in EatingWell as a French house-style red that usually sells for $19 or more elsewhere.

Both are Southern French reds. Rhône and Languedoc blends deliver ripe fruit and savory depth at low prices, and they pair with nearly anything from a weeknight pasta to grilled sausages.

Sommelier Costco picks under $20 lean on Kirkland Signature bottles from classic regions, including a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, a Gigondas, a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, and a Brut Champagne just under $20, plus producer bottles like Schug Pinot Noir, La Crema Chardonnay, and Catena Cabernet Sauvignon.

Costco prices and selection vary by warehouse and state, and not every warehouse sells wine. Treat these as a shopping list, not a guarantee.

Sommeliers’ Trader Joe’s picks cluster in two places: European whites and value reds under $12, like Espiral Vinho Verde, Villa Molino Soave Classico, and Maison Barboulot Cabernet-Syrah, and reds from Barossa, Paso Robles, and Napa under $20, like Long Mile Shiraz, True Myth Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Trading Post Napa Valley Cabernet.

Trader Joe’s rotates its wine often, and prices differ by state. If a pick is gone, ask for something from the same region and grape. That is how sommeliers shop too.

Sommeliers look for value relative to the region, balance, and food-friendliness, not brand or label. The picks above share three traits: they come from established regions where the same wine costs more elsewhere, they are made by serious producers under a store label or their own, and they have enough acidity to work with a meal.

• Region beats brand. A Gigondas or Chianti Classico Gran Selezione under $20 is a better deal than a famous brand at the same price.
• Private labels can be real wine. Kirkland and Trader Joe’s store labels show up on these lists next to well-known producers.
• Acidity makes wine food-friendly. Chinon, Grüner Veltliner, Muscadet, and Vinho Verde all show up because they pair easily.
• Sparkling is the easiest upgrade. Prosecco Superiore and store-label Champagne deliver the most occasion for the money.

Tasting like a sommelier means following the same steps every time: look, smell, taste, and conclude. Sommeliers train in a structured, deductive method, like the one taught by the Court of Master Sommeliers, so they judge a wine on what is in the glass rather than the label or price.

• Look. Tilt the glass against something white. Note color and depth: pale or deep, purple or brick.
• Swirl and smell. Swirl, then smell twice. Name fruit first (red, black, citrus, orchard), then everything else (herbs, spice, earth, oak).
• Taste. Take a real sip and move it around. Is it dry or sweet? How high is the acidity? For reds, how grippy are the tannins?
• Judge the structure. Is the body light, medium, or full? Does the alcohol feel warm? Is everything in balance?
• Finish. Count how long the flavor lasts after you swallow or spit. Longer usually means better.
• Conclude. Would you buy it again, and what would you eat with it?

The fastest way to train your palate is side by side. Buy two picks from the lists above, such as a Kirkland Côtes du Rhône and a Chinon, and taste them together. For a full home setup, see how to host a wine tasting at home.

The quickest way to taste like a sommelier is to taste with one. On Oxto Experiences, sommeliers and other hosts list tastings, pop-up dinners, and private sessions as Oxto Insiders. You see the price per guest before you book, and guests book free on the web and the Oxto iOS app.

Want to see the same wines in context? Plan a winery day with the free wine tasting guide, or book a private wine tasting.

Sommeliers can join Oxto as Insiders for free and list tastings, classes, pairing dinners, and private sessions. Free events are free to run. On paid tickets, Oxto charges 3%, or choose $29 a month or $299 a year for 0% Oxto fees. Payouts go to your own bank through Stripe.

A 10-person tasting at $75 a guest is $750 in tickets and a $22.50 Oxto fee at 3%. Use code HOSTWELCOME for 0% Oxto fees for six months, available through October 31, 2026. You also get a public profile, link-only private events, and a way to connect with wineries looking for hosts. Create your Insider profile.