Boozy Advent Calendars- Your Daily Dose Of Alcohol To Get You Through The Holidays
Adiós.
Ciao.
Au revoir.
While many of us looked at 2020 as a new decade filled with optimism, it’s been a year filled with surprises. From the wildfires, plane crashes, COVID-19 running rampant, millions of people losing their jobs, and the craziness of the election, it’s safe to say that 2020 has been my least favorite year. I realize this doesn’t even scratch the surface, but you get the gist of it. Simply put, everyone is mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. Like many of you, I am taking one day at a time, but I would like to see 2021’s terms and conditions before I commit. Just saying!
However, for those of you who needed your daily dose of alcohol to get through the holidays, Costco and Aldi have you covered. Trips to Costco became a highlight during 2020, and during one of my visits, I happened to stumble upon their version of the Wine Advent calendar . After loading a couple of these in my basket, I shared the joyful news with my fellow wine lovers on Instagram. These little boxes of joy sold out so fast in Nashville, I had people messaging me wanting to purchase mine ( um, no thank you!).
There are several wine advent calendars out there, Costco, Aldi, World Market, Vinebox, but Costco is by far the superior choice for several reasons.
The calendar features 24 wines from around the globe. Nothing like learning more about a country than through their wine production!
Each bottle is approximately 12 ounces, roughly two glasses for an average person. While other boozy advent calendars may be cheaper, they typically have one glass per day. Tip: You pay for what you get.
The calendar costs approximately $98.00, which is $4.00/bottle for quality wine
The calendar features an array of grape varieties and regions, some of which aren’t very well known. This is the perfect gift for the food and wine enthusiast in your life.
Below, I’ve cataloged all of the wines featured in the 2020 Costco Wine Advent Calendar. Wines are ranked on a scale of 1-5, 1 being undrinkable and 5 knocking it out of the park- so good that I want to purchase a full-sized bottle. Each wine description includes the following information:
Wine Name
Type of Wine
Grape Varietal (if available)
Country of Production
ABV
Vintage
Let’s jump into the details, shall we?
Day 1: Passal Rose; Vinho Rosé; Varietals: 50% Tinta Roriz, 50% Touriga National; Produced in Portugal; ABV 12%; No Vintage provided
Wine Rating: 3.75 / 5
Day 2: Slastno; Malvazija; Varietals: 100% Malvazija; Produced in Slovenia; ABV 12.5%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.25 / 5
Day 3: Sharkbite; White Blend; Varietals: 60% Sauvignon + 40% Chardonnay; Produced in Western Cape of South Africa; ABV 12%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.25 / 5
Day 4: Milfort; Cabernet Sauvignon; Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; Produced in Bordeaux, France; ABV 14.5%; 2018 Vintage
Wine Rating: 3.5 / 5
Day 5: Finca Martha; Malbec; Varietals: 100% Malbec; Produced in Mendoza, Argentina; ABV 13%; 2019 Vintage;
Wine Rating: 5 / 5
Day 6: Belle Valée; Bordeau Clairet; Varietals: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot; Produced in Bordeaux, France; ABV 13% 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 3.25 / 5
** this is the first bottle that I haven’t finished from the calendar**
Day 7: Il Bombo; Pinot Grigio; Varietals: 100% Pinot Grigio; Produced in Italy; ABV 12%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.25 / 5
Day 8: Tini; Sangiovese; Varietals: 100% Sangiovese; Produced in Tuscany, Italy; ABV 12%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.75 / 5
Day 9: Soliroy; Red Blend; Varietals: 35% Carignan, 25% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre; Produced in Languedoc, France; ABV 14.5%; 2019 Vintage;
Wine Rating: 3.7 / 5
Day 10: Chevalier De Lynch; Cabernet Sauvignon; Varietals: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot; Produced in Bordeaux, France; ABV 14.5% 2018 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4 / 5
Day 11: La Valinière; White Blend; Varietals: 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon; Produced in Bordeaux, France; ABV 14%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.75 / 5
Day 12: Le Moment; Rosé; Varietals: 50% Cinsault, 50% Grenache; Produced in France; ABV 12.5%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 5 / 5
Day 13: Silver Diamond Butterfly; Tempranillo; Varietals: 100% Tempranillo; Produced in La Mancha, Spain; ABV 12.5%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 3.75 / 5
** didn’t finish this bottle- wasn’t worth the calories**
Day 14: Volantis; Cabernet Sauvignon; Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; Produced in La Mancha, Spain; ABV 12.5% 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 1 / 5
** perhaps the worst bottle in the calendar. The wine was terribly DRY and I didn’t even finish the first glass. Next! **
Day 15: Les Terroirs; Red Blend; Varietals: 34% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 33% Carignan; Produced in Corbieres, France; ABV 14.5%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4 / 5
Day 16: Quintessence; White Blend; Varietals: 40% Colombard, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Ugni Blanc; Produced in Cotes de Gascogne, France; ABV 11.5%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.75 / 5
Day 17: Beauroy; Cabernet Sauvignon; Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; Produced in Pays D’OC,France; ABV 14.5%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4 / 5
Day 18: Filosur; Torrontes; Varietals: 100% Torrontes; Produced in Mendoza, Argentina; ABV 12.5% 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.75 / 5
Day 19: Comte Des Bories; Red Blend; Varietals: Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 50%; Produced in Bordeaux, France; ABV 14.5%; 2018 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4 / 5
Day 20: Monte Do Enforcado; White Blend; Varietals: 50% Arinto, 30% Antao Vaz, 20% Verdelho; Produced in Portugal; ABV 12%; Vintage not provided
Wine Rating: 4.5 / 5
Day 21: Il Principe; Cabernet Sauvignon; Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; Produced in Trevenezie, Italy; ABV 12%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 5 / 5
*this was one of the best red wines in the box*
Day 22: Via Vinera; Cabernet Sauvignon; Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; Produced in Thracian Lowlands, Bulgaria; ABV 13.5% 2017 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.25 / 5
Day 23: Convento Da Gloria; Tinta Roriz; Varietals: 100% Tinta Roriz; Produced in Lisbon,Portugal ; ABV 14%; 2019 Vintage
Wine Rating: 0 / 5
**the worst wine in the advent calendar. I poured a glass and could barely suffer through the first sip. I allowed ample time for the wine to breathe and it didn’t get any better, so I tossed it.**
Day 24: Horizon De Lynch; Cabernet Sauvignon; Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; Produced in Bordeaux, France; ABV 14.5%; 2018 Vintage
Wine Rating: 4.5 / 5
What the verdict?
The Costco Wine Advent Calendar was certainly a highlight during the holiday season. A bit of advice, don’t fall too far behind because it can be challenging to catch up unless you dedicate an entire day to drinking, and of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. Overall, I enjoyed the majority of the bottles and introduced to new varietals from various places around the globe like Bulgaria and Slovenia. For a red wine enthusiast such as myself, I was surprised as I found myself enjoying the white wine offerings more. Given the popularity of this advent calendar, I feel confident that Costco will make this available to members in 2021. I snagged this around the end of September/beginning of October. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled!
If the wine advent calendar wasn’t enough to get you through the first 24 days of December, I picked up a New Year Countdown calendar from Aldi that has a different sparkling wine each day. I’ll be sharing all the bubbly deets in an upcoming post.
Until Next Time!
For more information on this boozy advent calendar from Costco, click HERE.