Brian Elliott: 'It was with the dancers that I dallied the longest'

Didier was the second top-flight French grower I met to list Costco among the retailers stocking his wine. The previous day, an acclaimed Pouilly Fume producer had said exactly the same. I began to appreciate how much more there is to Costco than extra-large trolleys and extra-small prices.

Wine is, of course, only a small part of its business but its guiding principles apply as much to alcohol as to any other product. Costco is a "no frills" originally American outfit with a tried, tested - and very successful - business model. Every purchaser must be a member, paying the annual fee (for individual membership) of 25 a year - although this fee can include "his and her" cards. Nowadays, there are over 500 million members worldwide and 21 of Costco's 550 stores are in the UK - three in Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen).

In the US, it is one of the biggest wine retailers and its UK operation also has an appreciable turnover. Its main wine buyer over here is Pierre Levron, a canny, charming man from Nantes, France, who is currently studying for his Master of Wine qualification. The wines he selects fit neatly with the Costco philosophy of supplementing keenly priced branded products with one-off specials. These he calls his "danseuses" and they usually comprise smallish parcels of wines of impressive quality and at excellent prices from around the world.

It was with the "dancers" that I dallied longest - particularly with the French members of the chorus line. It was a joy to sample the smooth and complex 2009 Chablis Michel Bouchard (7.97) with its layers of flavour that include melon, green apple and orange all nicely topped off with touches of vanilla. Staying with classic French white, I was also taken with the elegant 2008 Sancerre Les Bonnes Bouches (9.98) produced by Henri Bourgeois which has dense sherbet lemon and gooseberry fruit, fresh acidity and a touch of minerality from the chalk and clay soil on which it grows.

Among the French reds, there is a cracking Rhone in the shape of 2006 Domaine de Longue Toque Gigondas (11.75) from Gabriel Meffre. Gigondas is to the north-east of Chateauneuf du Pape and this example is a light yet powerful red with long plum- centred flavours and, predictably, a warm, peppery finish.

Moving across the Atlantic, we find a red produced under the Kirkland Signature name - Costco's principal own label. The typically robust Californian, 2007 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Meritage (10.59), is a dark, smooth, intense wine with deep black cherry flavours underpinned by hints of vanilla and marzipan.

Dropping back to France, I was hugely impressed by 2004 Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal Vendange Tardive from top producers Zind Humbrecht. This is one of Alsace's dessert wines and uses grapes left on the vine to dehydrate and, thus, increase the concentration of sugar. This version has excellent smooth honey and lychee flavours with a lingering finish and hints of brioche.It would normally cost 30 or more a bottle but is in Costco for an astonishing 16.50.

Best buys

• 2010 Stonebridge Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, New Zealand, 13.5 per cent Rich and complex sauvignon with the usual gooseberry acidity overlaid with attractive peachy flavours. 4.99 (reduced from 9.99 until 30 Nov), Co-op, Scotmid.

• 2009 Finest Old Vines Tempranillo Extremadura, Spain, 14 per cent Soft blackcurrant and dark cherry with hints of chocolate, vanilla and eucalyptus. Two for 10 (6.99 each) until 30 Nov, Tesco

• 2008 Rosedale Shiraz Barossa Valley, Australia, 14.5 per cent Bursting with raspberry and black cherry fruit and a concluding touch of white pepper. Terrific stuff. 8.50, Hendersons