The Costco Wine Tasting Perk We Wish Was In More Stores
Costco offers a wide variety of wines which makes it an optimal choice for oenophiles. From Costco's deep cabernet to its sparkling Proseccos, there's something for every occasion and taste. While the wide selection is appreciated, too many choices can be paralyzing. If only Costco had wine tastings to make the process easier. Well, contrary to popular belief, sometimes the chain actually does.
Wine tasting is a real thing at Costco, but for now, it seems to be an offering that is sadly rare. One Reddit user posted an image of a wine tasting happening in a Costco but the image was taken in Korea. There have been a few instances of surprise wine tastings happening in locations across the United States, too. One Costco member shared his experience of happening upon a wine tasting at a store in the States on X, formerly known as Twitter, while another X user was also surprised to stumble upon a free Costco wine tasting happening in her home state. One local wine producer had also previously announced a wine tasting happening in a Costco via X in 2015.
While wine tastings haven't yet become the norm at this global warehouse chain, they do occasionally happen. The lesson here is to keep your eye out on social media and your local Costco for any news of an upcoming sampling.
What lucky customers have to say about the experience
While Costco wine samplings are not entirely something of myth, they have yet to catch on as a reoccurring event. For now, it seems that wine producers have occasionally done pop-ups with little fanfare ahead of time. Those who have been lucky enough to catch these surprise events have taken to social media to share their excitement.
One X user partook in a special tasting event where booths were set up all around the store. "They had wine-tasting booths all over the Costco and now I have to go lay down in that corner over there." Another Costco member happened upon a wine sampling during the opening of a new store and said that the event was even accompanied by gourmet cheese plates. Other shoppers were amused at the casual nature of a warehouse wine sampling, with one member opting to shop and sample wines in their sweatpants.
Finally, one customer shared the popular opinion that a Costco wine sampling booth should someday become a regular thing via X. Costco does offer plenty of other samplings on the daily as loyal customers know. Therefore, it's not like the idea of regular wine tastings joining the lineup is impossible.
The future of Costco's samples
While wine has not yet joined the lineup of products that Costco consistently provides free samples of, that reality might very well one day change. When it does, Costco's signature samples might look a little different.
As of now, free samples are handed out by human representatives. However, the retail giant may try other methods for size. Self-serve kiosks have been popping up at some Costco locations and customers are taking note. These new sampling counters work on an honor system where members can simply grab a sample and go. That's a far cry from the current system of human monitoring and exchange.
While Costco hasn't made any official changes yet, the trial sample carts popping up around Costco locations are significant to note. As automated exchanges become more common, it will be interesting to see how Costco proceeds. Now the question is, can a wine sampling be conducted without a human touch? That has yet to be seen. For now, we just hope they become a regular event.