The Wine Fairy

Behind door #3 of the 2025 Costco wine calendar is…gasp! Could it be? A normal wine?

So far, we’ve had a ripasso and a flavored white sangria inside the mystery box. Now, we’re getting back to basics with a regular old dry red wine from France: The Champs de Foin Cabernet Sauvignon.

The appellation on the label is Pays d’Oc IGP, which is a large wine-production area on the southern coast of France. Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne tend to grab all the headlines. But with 700,000 acres under vine, Pays d’Oc is the quiet giant–the largest wine-producing region in France and in the world.

Wines made under the Pays d’Oc IGP include red, white and rosé, with 63 grape varieties permitted. The Mediterranean climate is productive and the annual volume is huge. More wine is produced in this section of France than in California and the other 49 states put together.

That means it’s hard to generalize about Pays d’Oc wines…but they’re usually early-drinking and uncomplicated. This bottle fits that mold exactly. It’s the sort of sippable, pair-able varietal wine that keeps us coming back to the Costco advent calendar for three years in a row.

The Label

From the back label: “This Cabernet Sauvignon from Pays d’Oc boasts rich aromas of ripe red and dark fruits, enhanced by spicy undertones. The bouquet also features subtle oaky notes, with hints of toasted wood and vanilla that add depth and complexity to the wine’s aromatic profile.”

As with all the Costco advent calendar wines, this is a 375 ml bottle (about 2.5 glasses). The bottler is listed as François Martenot–a respected Burgundy producer in the Côte de Beaune which also makes négociant wines for Costco’s supplier Flying Blue Imports.

The Tasting

Deep purple in color with moderately intense aromas of blackberry and cassis. A hint of vanilla from oak, but mostly woody notes of campfire smoke. As expected for this style, the body, tannin, acid, and alcohol (13.5%) are all medium across the board.

It tastes of fresh, just-ripe blackberry with spent dark-roasted coffee grounds and a short finish. The fruit flavors and color are a lot bigger than the tannins, which are mild. Meaning the grapes were picked fully ripe and probably went through extended cold maceration? (Checks textbook.) The heavy wood char is not going to be everyone’s favorite flavor, but it adds interest to what’s otherwise a simple, fruity wine.

Personally, I enjoy the combination of youthful, juicy Cabernet berries and a clean, dry finish. It’s nothing special, but it’s fine. If I was at happy hour and this was the $6 house Cab, I’d drink it with a side of herbed truffle fries, no lie.

Wine: Champs de Foin Cabernet Sauvignon (2024) – Pays d’Oc IGP, France

Costco Wine Advent-ure Calendar Number: 3

Grade: C+

Finish the bottle? Well…yeah.

We’re tasting all 24 wines in the Costco Wine Advent-ure calendar! See previous reviews here.

Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.