Charles Shaw is an American brand of bargain-priced

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

. Largely made from California grapes, Charles Shaw wines include

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...

, White Zinfandel,

Merlot Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...

Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...

, Valdiguié in the style of Beaujolais nouveau, and limited quantities of Pinot Grigio.

Overview

Charles Shaw wines were introduced at

Trader Joe's Trader Joe's is an American chain of grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. The chain has over 569 stores across the United States. The first Trader Joe's store was opened in 1967 by founder Joe Coulombe in Pasadena, California ...

grocery stores in California in 2002 at a price of USD$1.99 per bottle, earning the wines the nickname "Two Buck Chuck", and eventually sold 800 million bottles between 2002 and 2013. In 2009, an international version of

from Australia was introduced in a limited number of stores. Prices in states other than California have increased to US$3.79 per bottle. The price was later raised. , a bottle of Charles Shaw retailed for US$2.99 in California. The cost of the wine is about 30 to 40 percent of the price, with the glass, cork and distribution the larger part. The cost of shipping Two-Buck Chuck anywhere out of California becomes too high to justify the US$1.99 price. In April 2018, the winery introduced a line of

organic Organic may refer to: * Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity * Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ Chemistry * Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product ...

wines, at USD$1 higher than their standard line. In some stores, the price of a bottle is USD$2.99. It is euphemistically called "Two-Buck Chuck" by locals.

History

The brand began as an eponymous winery owned by Charles F. Shaw, producing Beaujolais-style wines in the

Napa Valley AVA Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...

. During bankruptcy proceedings in 1995, its trademark was acquired for US$27,000 by

Bronco Wine Company The Bronco Wine Company is a vintner that produces wines under many brands and is based in Ceres, California. It is the fourth largest producer of wine in the United States. Bronco Wine Co has 10000 employees at all locations globally. (Employees ...

, co-owned by Fred Franzia, formerly of Franzia Brothers wines. The company produces the Charles Shaw label at their

Ceres Ceres most commonly refers to: * Ceres (dwarf planet), the largest asteroid * Ceres (mythology), the Roman goddess of agriculture Ceres may also refer to: Places Brazil * Ceres, Goiás, Brazil * Ceres Microregion, in north-central Goiás st ...

, Escalon and Napa, California wineries. A 2006 ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' story said the company could fill 60,000 bottles of the Charles Shaw brand in two to three days.

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. 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 California Exposition and State Fair (Cal Expo) is an independent state agency established by law in the California Food and Agriculture codes. Cal Expo is governed by an appointed 11-member Board of Directors and daily operations are managed ...

. The chardonnay received 98 points, a double gold, with accolades of "Best of California" and "Best of Class".

References

{{Reflist

External links

Charles Shaw rumor disclosure
by snopes.com
Video reviews of Charles Shaw
via Winelibrary TV

article on CNN.com 2002 establishments in California American brands Wine brands California wine Ceres, California Store brands