The Wine Fairy

December is almost upon us, and there are still eight wines lurking in the Costco Wine Advent-ure Calendar crate. Will we get to them all before the holidays, or will we get sidetracked by other seasonal treats like Glühwein and Beaujolais Nouveau?

Who even knows? But today, we’re back on task. We’re tasting the lone South African wine in the Costco box, the Starlight Wonder Chenin Blanc.

The Label

From the producer: “This South African Chenin Blanc offers a delightful bouquet of white flowers and zesty citrus fruits. It has a creamy and smooth texture, with a lingering aromatic finish. The touch of sweetness perfectly balances the wine, making it both harmonious and refined.”

The Tasting

Lilac and apple blossoms come fluttering out of the glass, bouncing around the room like CGI flowers in a dryer-sheet commercial. Pear, quince, and clover honey are complicated by an elusive, smoky whiff of flint and cannabis.

The layered palate also presents crisp green notes of grapefruit, pineapple stems, and grass. (I can’t be 100% certain–but I’d bet a round of drinks that there’s some Sauv Blanc hiding in this bottle, too.) Medium-plus body and serious staying power, with bright acidity balancing yellow apples and honey on the finish.

Like most of the wines in this year’s advent calendar, it’s not overly sweet. I’m not sure whether to call Starlight Wonder “dry” or “off-dry.” The question is complicated by the fact that the wine has a very slight, tongue-tickling effervescence and I don’t actually know if it’s intended to be that way or if it re-fermented in the bottle. In any case, it detracts not at all–it just adds a touch of starlit sparkle to this Chenin’s honeyed heft.

Doing wine-nerd reviews of Costco’s holiday swill has been a bit of a lark, bit of a joke–but this is a pretty solid Chenin Blanc! I wish I had more than a half-bottle of it, honestly.

Wine: Starlight Wonder Chenin Blanc – Western Cape, South Africa

Costco Wine Advent-ure Calendar Number: 16

Grade: A

Finish the bottle? Yes.

Sixteen wines down, eight to go! See previous 2025 Costco Wine Advent-ure 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.