Charles Shaw wine

Charles Shaw wine displayed in a Trader Joe's grocery market.
Charles Shaw display in California after the 2013 price increase to $2.49

Charles Shaw is a brand of "extreme value", bargain-priced wine.[1] Largely made from California grapes, Charles Shaw wines currently include Cabernet Sauvignon, White Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Valdiguié in the style of Beaujolais nouveau, and limited quantities of Pinot Grigio.

These wines were introduced at Trader Joe's grocery stores in California in 2002 at a price of $1.99 per bottle, earning the wines the nickname "Two Buck Chuck" and eventually sold 800 million bottles.[2][3] In 2009, an international version of Chardonnay from Australia was introduced in limited stores. Prices in states other than California have increased to as much as $3.79 per bottle.[4] The price was later raised.[5] As of February 20, 2017, a bottle of Charles Shaw retailed for $2.99 in California. The actual wine costs about 30 to 40 percent of the price with the glass, cork and distribution the bigger part of the cost. The cost of shipping Two-Buck Chuck anywhere out of California becomes too high to support the $1.99 price.[6] In April 2017, at the San Antonio, TX locations, Two-Buck Chuck once again became $1.99. Store employees claim that the price is permanent and not a marketing ploy.

In April, 2018, the winery introduced a line of organic wines, at a price point $1.00 higher than their standard line. [7]

Ownership

Grapevines growing on the grounds of the Bronco Wine Company in Ceres, California, where Charles Shaw wine is produced.

The Charles Shaw label is owned by the Bronco Wine Company, headed by Fred Franzia, formerly of Franzia Brothers wines. The Bronco Wine Company produces the Charles Shaw label at their Ceres, California winery, which is not open to the public.

There was once an actual, eponymous winery owned by Charles F. Shaw, which produced Beaujolais-style wines in the Napa Valley AVA. That winery went out of business, and the name was sold to Bronco in 1990.[8]

In the media

  • Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure visited the winery in the fourth episode of their second series.
  • In Chuck season four, episode eleven, Chuck and his team go to a winery in France while on a mission. An oenophile states that Chuck would not know the difference between fine wine and "Two Buck Chuck". Chuck replies that he likes Two Buck Chuck.
  • In Person of Interest season four, episode three, Finch tells Shaw “Until I can access some auxiliary funds, we have no choice but to commit to our identities socioeconomic status”. Shaw replies “Copy that. Ramen and Two Buck Chuck for the rest of the month.”
  • In Jane the Virgin season three, episode four, Michael chides Jane for overspending on a bottle of wine, saying "that is not Two Buck Chuck".

Awards

At the 28th Annual International Eastern Wine Competition, Shaw's 2002 Shiraz received the double gold medal, beating approximately 2,300 other wines in the competition.[9]

Shaw's 2005 California Chardonnay was judged Best chardonnay from California at the Commercial Wine Competition of the 2007 California Exposition and State Fair. The chardonnay received 98 points, a double gold, with accolades of "Best of California" and "Best of Class".[10]

References

  1. ↑ Julia Flynn Siler (2007). The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty. New York: Gotham Books. p. 310. ISBN 9781592402595.
  2. ↑ Rossen, Jake. "Why is Trader Joe's Wine Cheaper Than Bottled Water?". Mental Floss. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  3. ↑ "The American Way of Aldi". Deutsche Welle. January 16, 2004. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  4. ↑ "Charles Shaw Wine". Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer. February 6, 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  5. ↑ Cathy Bussewitz (January 22, 2013). "Price hiked for 'Two-Buck Chuck'". The Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  6. ↑ Konohovs, Konohovs (16 June 2014). "The True Cost of a Bottle of Cheap Wine". KALW. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "News Briefs for April 2, 2018". Shanken News Daily. April 2, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  8. ↑ Michael Chatfield (November 8, 2004). "The story behind Two Buck Chuck". The Gilroy Dispatch. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  9. ↑ "'Two-Buck Chuck' Snags Top Wine Prize". NPR News. June 18, 2004. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  10. ↑ "The judgment of California: Charles Shaw chardonnay is state's best". The Napa Valley Register. June 29, 2007. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.