Updated March 2026.
Costco does not make Kirkland Chardonnay as one winery. Each SKU is a contract wine. The back-label “vinted and bottled by” line and the TTB COLA name the bottler for that vintage. CheapWineFinder’s 2023 and 2024 Sonoma County bottles listed Grape and Grain (a Precept Wine private-label arm) — a SKU read, not a forever factory. Napa, Russian River, and jug California Chardonnays can be different houses. A 5-ounce pour of ~12% wine is one NIAAA standard drink.
The 2023 Sonoma County bottle was labeled 13.5% ABV on that review. At 13.5%, a 5-ounce glass is about 1.13 standard drinks (5 × 0.135 ÷ 0.6). A 750 mL at 13.5% is about 5.6 drinks. We will not invent a 2026 warehouse price. Method matches Kirkland wine: turn the bottle around.
What a label actually tells you
| SKU example | Who has been named | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Sonoma County Chardonnay 2023 / 2024 | Grape and Grain / Precept (back-label “vinted and bottled by”) | CheapWineFinder SKU read. Contractor can change next vintage. |
| Napa / Russian River / 1.5 L California | Not the same bottler by default | Do not copy the Sonoma name onto other appellations. |
| Any Kirkland wine | TTB COLA + city/state on the back | Primary. “Vinted and bottled by” is the bottler, not always the grower. |
Four 5-ounce 12% pours are four drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Hours to buy the bottle are state ABC law, not Costco corporate. Sparkling is a different aisle: Kirkland Champagne, Kirkland Prosecco. Pour math: wine drinks.
Sources
- CheapWineFinder Sonoma County Chardonnay 2023 (Sep 2024) and 2024 (Aug 2026): Grape and Grain / Precept; 2023 labeled 13.5%. Secondary SKU reads.
- TTB COLA / back label is primary for the bottle in hand.
- NIAAA 5 oz / ~12% (December 2025). No 2026 MSRP. No invented Napa contractor.