Costco Decks The Halls Early With The Return Of Its Wine Advent Calendar

Proving that it offers more than just practical bulk buys, Costco fans on Reddit are reporting that the warehouse retail chain's popular wine Advent calendar has arrived early. While buying wine at Costco can save shoppers about $4 per bottle, since the chain typically institutes a lower markup than other retailers, members love the Advent calendar for the festive spirit it brings. According to the Reddit post, the seasonal product was spotted in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and retails for $99. The Redditor who created the post also claimed that the wine selection was somewhat concealed, as it was located "in the back of the beer & wine section, next to cases of beer."

The product, cleverly dubbed Wine Advent-ure, comes from Flying Blue Imports. The 24 half-bottles are intended to be drunk each day of December leading up to Christmas Eve, and the packaging features a QR code where imbibers can learn more about each selection, including its origin and suggested food pairings.

While certain name brands are behind Costco's most popular wines (including Kim Crawford and Mumm Napa), Flying Blue Imports is not quite so well known. According to the website, the company sources wine from European makers and provides them to American consumers at "financially accessible" prices. As for its Wine Advent-ure assortment, Costco members will find selections like sauvignon blanc, Chianti, and even a futsu-shu saké (which is a general form of rice wine that does not meet the legal standard of premium saké). 

It's worth noting that a previous Costco beer Advent calendar was met with controversy, and so far, Wine Advent-ure seems to be receiving negative reactions on Reddit. Some commenters made unfavorable comparisons to the previous year's wine calendar ("It was gross last year. Spend your money on literally anything else."), while another person claimed that the assortment of wines was "pretty poor" after reviewing them. While the quality may be up for debate, you can't deny that Costco's boozy Advent calendar does make holiday wine shopping a breeze.