Prisoner wine, sometimes referred to as jailhouse wine or pruno, is an alcoholic beverage produced illicitly by inmates while incarcerated. Costco is a popular membership-based retail warehouse club that sells a wide variety of goods, including wine, at discounted prices.
This article will explore how much prisoner wine costs at Costco and provide background information on prisoner wine and Costco’s wine selection and pricing.
What is Prisoner Wine?
Prisoner wine, also known as pruno, is an alcoholic beverage made by inmates from fruit, juice, sugar, and yeast utilizing improvised equipment. Some common ingredients in prisoner wine include:
- Fruit – oranges, apples, prunes, raisins, fruit cocktail
- Juices – orange, tomato, grape
- Sugar – stolen sugar packets, bread
- Yeast – from bread, fruit skins, yogurt
- Water
Prisoner wine is made via fermentation by combining the ingredients and allowing the natural yeasts to convert sugars into alcohol. The mixture is typically allowed to ferment for 1-3 weeks before being filtered and consumed.
Making alcohol in prison is prohibited. However, prisoner wine making persists due to alcohol being considered a contraband comfort that inmates desire while incarcerated. The clandestine production of prisoner wine poses risks, as improper fermentation can produce methanol which can cause blindness or death if consumed.
Why Do People Make Prisoner Wine?
There are several motivations for prisoners to produce their own alcoholic beverages behind bars:
- Boredom – Inmates have abundant time on their hands and wine making can provide a diversionary activity.
- Stress Relief – The monotony and restrictive environment of prison can be psychologically taxing. Prisoner wine offers temporary escape and relaxation.
- Social Benefits – Making and sharing wine can build social bonds and status among inmates.
- Profit – Prisons have underground economies, with prisoner wine being valuable contraband that can be traded or sold.
- Scarcity of Alcohol – With limited access to alcohol, prisoners must improvise to quench desire for intoxication.
Overall, the appeal of prohibited intoxication coupled with ingenuity drives prisoner wine production in correctional facilities worldwide.
How is Prisoner Wine Made?
While recipes vary, the basic process for making prisoner wine involves:
Gathering Ingredients
Ingredients are scavenged from prisoner meals, commissary items, cafeterias, and kitchens. Fruits, fruit juices, sugar, bread and yeast sources are prioritized.
Mixing and Fermenting
The ingredients are combined in an improvised vessel, often a plastic bag. Enough water is added to allow fermentation. The mix ferments for 1-3 weeks, hidden away from guards.
Filtering and Bottling
Once fermented, the wine is strained through cloth, coffee filters, or squeezed by hand to remove solids. It is then bottled into makeshift containers for storage.
Enjoying the Final Product
The finished prisoner wine can reach 5-14% ABV. Inmates will find clandestine ways to enjoy their wine while incarcerated.
Prisoner wine making requires creativity, patience, and discreet teamwork. The risks of getting caught must be weighed against the reward of a temporary escape from sobriety.
Is Making Prisoner Wine Illegal?
Yes, the unauthorized production of alcohol is strictly prohibited in prisons and jails across the United States. Despite this, prisoner wine making persists due to high demand among inmates.
The legal issues surrounding prisoner wine include:
- Contraband – Prisoner wine is considered contraband in all correctional facilities. Manufacturing or possessing alcohol can result in disciplinary action.
- Health and Safety – Prisoner wine poses risks if incorrectly fermented. It can also undermine prison officials’ duty to maintain safe, orderly facilities.
- Public Perception – The public may view prisoner wine as a minor offense. However, administrators argue prohibiting it is necessary for security and rehabilitation.
While some believe banning alcohol in prisons is an excessive constraint on inmate liberties, most accept that prisoner wine cannot be condoned given its disruptive contraband status. Tolerance of any illicit activity behind bars could undermine the prison system’s core functions.
How Much Can Prisoner Wine Production Cost Taxpayers?
The clandestine activities surrounding prisoner wine production can impose significant costs on corrections departments and taxpayers. These costs include:
- Increased Security Measures – More guards, cell searches, and surveillance may be needed to curb wine making. This inflates operational expenses.
- Medical Treatment – Inmates who consume tainted wine require emergency medical care, sometimes hospitalization. Taxpayers foot these bills.
- Property Damage – Equipment used and hidden for wine making can damage facilities. Repairs are needed.
- Legal Expenses – Staff and resources are required to impose penalties on wine-making violators.
- Rehabilitative Setbacks – Some argue prisoner wine undermines rehab, requiring inmates serve longer sentences costing ~$60/day per prisoner.
While difficult to quantify, these ancillary costs arising from prohibited wine production likely amount to millions in wasted expenditure annually across U.S. prisons.
What Products Does Costco Sell?
Costco is a popular membership warehouse club, focused on selling a wide selection of merchandise at heavily discounted prices. Costco sells:
- Food & Sundries – Costco has a large selection of pantry goods, snacks, candy, coffee, bakery items, alcohol, and more. Many items are sold in bulk.
- Household Supplies – Cleaning products, paper goods, storage items, appliances, furniture, and home decor are available.
- Health & Beauty – OTC medications, vitamins, personal care products, and beauty supplies are stocked.
- Clothing & Accessories – Costco sells clothing for men, women, and kids. Shoes, handbags, jewelry, and other accessories are also available.
- Office & Tech – Electronics, computers, printers, software, and office supplies can be found.
Additionally, Costco has its own Kirkland private label for many affordable staples and an in-house pharmacy program. The warehouse format and no-frills experience help Costco offer savings to members.
What Types of Wine Does Costco Sell?
With affordable prices and an impressive selection, Costco is considered a leading wine retailer. Costco wine buyers source from vineyards worldwide, allowing Costco to offer both variety and savings. Here are the types of wine available at Costco warehouses and online:
Red Wines
- Cabernet Sauvignon – From Napa, Sonoma, Bordeaux, Australia, Chile.
- Pinot Noir– California, Oregon, and French Burgundy Pinot Noirs.
- Merlot – Mainly California Merlots along with some French Bordeaux blends.
- Red Blends – Blends from California and Australia in particular.
- Malbec – Imported from the Mendoza wine region of Argentina.
- Zinfandel – Primarily Old Vine Zinfandels from California.
White Wines
- Chardonnay – Ranging from unoaked to oaked from California, France, Australia.
- Sauvignon Blanc – Mostly New Zealand and some California Sauvignon Blancs.
- Pinot Grigio/Gris – Imports from Italy as well as domestic versions.
- Riesling – Both sweet and dry Rieslings from the U.S., Germany, and Australia.
- Moscato – Sweet, lower alcohol Moscatos.
- White Blends – Blends such as Trebbiano, Pinot Grigio blends, and white Rhone style blends.
Sparking Wines
- Champagne – Mostly real Champagnes from France.
- Prosecco – Light and crisp imports from Italy.
- Cava – Spanish sparkling wines.
- Domestic Sparkling – California sparklers made using the traditional Champagne method.
This range covers a spectrum of styles and allows customers to explore great wines at pleasing prices.
What Are Costco’s Wine Pricing Strategies?
Costco employs the following approaches to make quality wine affordable for members:
- Direct Sourcing – Costco buys many wines direct from vineyards, eliminating middleman markups.
- Kirkland Signature – Wines bottled under Costco’s private label have lower packaging costs.
- Large Format Bottles – Magnums and double magnums offer more volume at smaller price-per-ounce.
- Buying Power – With millions of members, Costco can negotiate lower prices through high-volume purchases.
- Minimal Marketing – Producers don’t spend heavily marketing to Costco buyers, reducing overhead.
- Simplified Selection – Each location carries ~100 wine options, making the buying process focused yet flexible.
- Trusted Quality – Rigorous tastings ensure only best values make it to shelves.
These advantages allow Costco to retail wines at exceptional values versus other sellers.
How Do Costco Wine Prices Compare to Other Retailers?
Costco consistently offers lower prices relative to other major wine retailers. Here are average prices compared at mid-range price points:
| Wine Type | Costco Price | Total Wine Price | Spec’s Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml | $12.99 | $16.99 | $17.99 |
| Chardonnay 750ml | $8.99 | $12.49 | $14.99 |
| Pinot Noir 750ml | $13.99 | $18.99 | $19.99 |
| Prosecco 750ml | $8.99 | $12.99 | $10.99 |
For premium wines sold at higher price points, Costco leverages its buying power to retail many wines for 10-30% less than competitors. This makes Costco a go-to for wine lovers looking for quality and value.
What Kirkland Signature Wines Does Costco Sell?
Kirkland Signature is Costco’s highly regarded private label brand. Under this banner, Costco sources notably delicious wines exclusively for members. Here are some top Kirkland Signature wines that have earned acclaim:
- Chateauneuf du Pape – From the southern Rhone, a bold French red blend with ripe, plush flavors. $20
- Brunello di Montalcino – An elegant Italian single vineyard Sangiovese grosso. $35
- Casillero del Diablo Cabernet – From Chile’s Rapel Valley, a concentrated yet smooth Cab. $7
- Prosecco – A crisp, vibrant sparkler with apple and pear notes. $7
- Champagne – Produced in France’s Marne Valley, toasty with fine bubbles. $20
- Rosé – A refreshing pink from France’s Vin de France appellation. $6
These wines demonstrate how Kirkland Signature offers incredible value across varietals and origins. The brand has become synonymous with quality and affordability.
Can You Purchase and Return Alcohol at Costco?
Yes, Costco does allow members to purchase and return alcohol purchases, with some limitations:
- Returns must be made within 90 days of purchase.
- Only unopened bottles in sellable condition can be returned.
- No more than 12 bottles can be returned at one time.
- Proof of ID is required to return alcohol.
- Refunds are made back to the original form of payment.
- Applicable sales taxes are deducted from refunds.
Costco aims to guarantee member satisfaction, even with alcohol. However, restrictions help deter abuse of the return policy on what is meant to be consumed. Proper ID and receipts are always required.
Does Costco Prohibit Reselling of Its Wines?
No, Costco does not prohibit members from legally reselling wine purchases. However, the company does discourage exploitative bulk reselling purely for profit.
Costco’s official policy is that “for personal use only” signs by alcohol are suggestions, not firm restrictions. The transactions occur between Costco and individual members. What members do with purchases afterwards is not Costco’s legal concern.
Yet massive bulk resales just to extract profit from Costco’s discounted pricing damages the member experience. Costco reserves the right to revoke memberships if abuse of alcohol purchasing privileges becomes clear and extreme. Moderation and ethics are encouraged.
Overall, Costco aims to provide wine access to genuine individual consumers and connoisseurs, not commercial distributors or unauthorized retailers simply seeking to exploit its model.
Is There a Black Market for Prisoner Wine?
Yes, within prisons an underground black market exists for prisoner-produced wine and other contraband items. Because prisoner wine is highly restricted, yet also in high demand by inmates, a black market arises.
Some characteristics of the black market for prisoner wine include:
- Wine is produced secretly in closed cell blocks away from guards.
- Distribution happens discreetly, with lookouts warning wine runners of approaching guards.
- Prisoner wine can sell for $50+ per gallon jug, with price varying by quality.
- Payments happen via contraband tobacco, stamps, or favors as prisoner money is banned.
- Debts and violence can occur over disputed transactions, given lack of legal recourse.
- Some inmates become powerful dealers who coordinate production and sales.
Prison officials seek to suppress these underground activities through cell searches, informant rewards, and punishment for those caught. But prisons have proven difficult to fully police.
How Do Guards Try to Prevent Prisoner Wine Making?
Because alcohol production is strictly prohibited, prison staff utilize various tactics to try preventing the creation of prisoner wine:
- Cell Searches – Guards routinely toss and inspect cells seeking stashed ingredients or completed wine.
- Restricted Food Access – Keeping tighter controls over cafeteria fruit and yeast sources.
- Mail Monitoring – Outsiders are banned from mailing wine-making materials to inmates.
- Informants – Prisoners snitch on wine operations in exchange for privileges or reduced sentences.
- Security Technology – Some facilities use scanning devices to detect fermentation chemicals.
- Punishments – Inmates caught making wine face lost privileges, solitary confinement, or violence.
However, prisoner wine persists because inmates have little to lose and much downtime. Strict policing cannot fully defeat human innovation and motivation. Many inmates feel the reward of intoxication is worth the risk.
Has Anyone Tried Selling Prisoner Wine at Costco?
There are no reports of anyone successfully selling genuine contraband prisoner wine at Costco stores. It would be illegal, dangerous, and contrary to Costco’s responsible alcohol retail policies.
Costco thoroughly vets all wine vendors and products that appear on its shelves. Wines are directly sourced from known, licensed producers that bottle and label their products according to industry and legal standards. Deceptive origins, unhealthy contaminants, or illegal production methods resulting in contraband wines would never clear Costco’s buyer quality controls.
Furthermore, while rare, any customer attempts to illegally redistribute prohibited prisoner wines via Costco could constitute criminal fraud. Overall, the lawful mainstream wine trade and Costco’s buyer standards preclude covert prisoner wines from feasibly appearing in their stores.
Could Prisoner Wine Be Mass Produced Commercially?
It is highly unlikely that genuine prisoner wine could ever be mass produced legally and commercially. There are several barriers:
- Legality – Prisoner wine originates illegally, so commercializing contraband could raise criminal liability.
- Contamination – Prison wine carries health hazards if wrongly fermented. These risks preclude standardization.
- Consistency – Each prison batch differs based on available ingredients. Maintaining uniformity could be impossible.
- Morality – Many would consider profiting from inmates’ suffering unethical. A public backlash would be probable.
- Costs – Commercial sterilization, bottling, licensing, distribution would erode any savings.
- Scalability – Raw materials like fruit scraps likely couldn’t be mass sourced from prisons.
While outlaw mystique gives it allure, prisoner wine is better left to history than exploited for profit via precarious means. Any legal product mimicking it would have no true claim to authenticity.
Could A Home Winemaker Reproduce Prisoner Wine Taste? Is This Legal?
It may be technically possible for a home winemaker to try reproducing basic prisoner wine flavors legally in their own residence. However, this is inadvisable for several reasons:
- Legality – If sold, declaring it “prison wine” could be misrepresentation. Home fermentation for personal use only is the wisest choice. Consult all applicable laws first.
- Health – Prison conditions increase contamination risks. Replicating such conditions at home raises food safety concerns.
- Respect – Some could consider home replication of prison wine exploitation of incarcerated people’s suffering.
- Difficulty – Each prison batch varies based on available ingredients. Matching tastes could require extensive experimentation.
- Morality – Does recreating contraband for curiosity’s sake uphold community values? Is the purpose ethical? These questions deserve reflection beforehand.
Any home fermenter contemplating creating a facsimile of prohibited products ought to carefully examine personal and societal implications before proceeding. Legal freedoms do not absolve individuals of thoughtful discernment.
Crime Statistics: Prison Contraband Incidents 2016-2022
| Year | Total Contraband Incidents | % Involving Alcohol |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 18,863 | 22% |
| 2017 | 20,117 | 25% |
| 2018 | 23,690 | 27% |
| 2019 | 26,053 | 29% |