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In response to my latest article, someone wrote in recommending an accompaniment of something called "Two Buck Chuck."

Keep in mind that my audience is a bunch of poor college students and recent grads, so they're not really able to afford much more than "two buck chuck."

What's the opinion of the wine community on this dry grape juice that's apparently sweeping the nation?

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In response to my latest article, someone wrote in recommending an accompaniment of something called "Two Buck Chuck."

Keep in mind that my audience is a bunch of poor college students and recent grads, so they're not really able to afford much more than "two buck chuck."

What's the opinion of the wine community on this dry grape juice that's apparently sweeping the nation?

While I keep meaning to, I have never tried $2 Chuck. That said, if they really want wine tell them to go to a wine store and ask some assistance in finding inexpensive wines. Local stores like The Curious Grape, WF, Total Wine, and such have decent enough wines for under $10/btl.

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While I keep meaning to, I have never tried $2 Chuck. That said, if they really want wine tell them to go to a wine store and ask some assistance in finding inexpensive wines. Local stores like The Curious Grape, WF, Total Wine, and such have decent enough wines for under $10/btl.

I haven't tried it, eithe.

I second this suggestion. Arrowwine also has an excellent selection of wines for less than $10 a bottle, and they offer special deals announced by email every Thursday, all of which are excellent values and many of which are extremely inexpensive. They offer tastings on the weekends, and their staff is very helpful and friendly.

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Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggg

gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But that's just a personal opinion

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Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggg

gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But that's just a personal opinion

I can't tell if you really like it, really hate it, or are a pirate.
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In response to my latest article, someone wrote in recommending an accompaniment of something called "Two Buck Chuck."

Keep in mind that my audience is a bunch of poor college students and recent grads, so they're not really able to afford much more than "two buck chuck."

What's the opinion of the wine community on this dry grape juice that's apparently sweeping the nation?

Well, it's called 2 Buck Chuck because on the west coast it costs $24 a case at Trader Joe's (or maybe Costco). On this coast it's $3.49 Chuck. :) The joke among wine geeks is that the cabernet sucks, the merlot sucks, BUT, if you mix them together.........

The correct name of the wine is Charles Shaw Winery, a name that Bronco wines bought from a bankrupt producer.

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We prefer to be called "Buccaneer-Americans".

Two Buck Chuck? Blecch. I'm not sure it (either the merlot or cab) would even beat the Plonk Cocktail chemistry experiment described in the current issue of Mixologist.

For meadmakers though, it can be a cheap source of bottles and synthetic corks (I believe one estimate figured they were spending 4x on the packaging as they were on the juice), plus some of your less-discriminating friends may think you're generous with wine. At least, if you buy it from TJ's in California where it really is under two bucks.

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I am always amazed when I go to Trader Joes and people are buying cases of this. I tried it once a few years ago, when I first started getting into wine and it was pretty bad. I will take Yellow Tail over this anyday.

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Somebody in my building is a fan. I got home last night and there were six (6) {VI} empty cases by the recycling. Granted, they could have gone to Trader Joe's and bought six cases worth of something else bottle by bottle but...come on.

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I've had bottles I didn't mind spending $4 but, most bottles I felt absolutley ripped off. Considering that they're getting their juice from all over the place, there will be quality control and consitency issues even under the best of circumstances.

I find that the Sauvignon Blanc ain't bad if you just feel like getting drunk (it happens), and the merlot ain't bad to cook with if you get a dryer bottle, otherwise, you probably have to hope to get lucky.

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I've tried all of the 2-Buck-Chuck wines, and I would compare them (quality-wise) to what you would get if you went to Red Lobster and ordered a glass of the "house" wine. The chardonnay is particularly awful. I'll use the reds to make sangria sometimes, but that's about it.

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I find that the Sauvignon Blanc ain't bad if you just feel like getting drunk (it happens), and the merlot ain't bad to cook with if you get a dryer bottle, otherwise, you probably have to hope to get lucky.
Variation by bottle. That's some kind of twisted pseudo-terroir that is aching for a clever name.

...and I know just the guy to figure one out.

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Don't forget about cost-to-quality ratio here. None of the Charles Shaw offerings is a "great" wine per se, and there is indeed "variation by bottle." But for its very low price, Chuck delivers what it should -- a drinkable, ultra-cheap house wine. It's better than say, Corbett Canyon at $4-$7 per bottle (though not nearly as good as some of the Spanish offerings for $6/btl). It is, as has been previously mentioned, completely adequate for sangria and cooking.

Is Charles Shaw a good deal at $2 per bottle? Yes, a very good deal. And I think we should take it for what it is. I mean, people pay more than $150 per bottle for California cabs and Bordeaux -- some of which are poorly made, some of which are middling, and some of which are truly outstanding. The Charles Shaw could very well offer a far better cost-to-quality ratio than any of those offerings. The wine in the bottle might not routinely be as good (and, in some cases, no matter what you pay, it might well be better), but it's more than worth the price. Can the same be said of Joseph Phelps' "Insignia" or Opus One -- each of which is arguably a "better" wine?

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Is Charles Shaw a good deal at $2 per bottle? Yes, a very good deal. And I think we should take it for what it is. I mean, people pay more than $150 per bottle for California cabs and Bordeaux -- some of which are poorly made, some of which are middling, and some of which are truly outstanding. The Charles Shaw could very well offer a far better cost-to-quality ratio than any of those offerings. The wine in the bottle might not routinely be as good (and, in some cases, no matter what you pay, it might well be better), but it's more than worth the price. Can the same be said of Joseph Phelps' "Insignia" or Opus One -- each of which is arguably a "better" wine?
Opus One and Insignia (and throw Silver Oak and Jordon in for good measure) are a victory of PR over wine making. But I am trying to figure out the idea that Charles Shaw provides any quality to off-set the cost. It is hardly palatable let alone drinkable. But let us assume that Charles Shaw or other Two Buck Chuck as some modicum of quality, what is it that the wine is providing you? A memory of a finely crafted wine? Will it be something that complements your meal, or even elevates it? Or is it simply a delivery mechanism for alcohol? I think that in the case of these wines you will find that it is the later.
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Opus One and Insignia (and throw Silver Oak and Jordon in for good measure) are a victory of PR over wine making. But I am trying to figure out the idea that Charles Shaw provides any quality to off-set the cost. It is hardly palatable let alone drinkable. But let us assume that Charles Shaw or other Two Buck Chuck as some modicum of quality, what is it that the wine is providing you? A memory of a finely crafted wine? Will it be something that complements your meal, or even elevates it? Or is it simply a delivery mechanism for alcohol? I think that in the case of these wines you will find that it is the later.

Perhaps very little of the above. But I do think that it's worth $2 per bottle, which many $20 wines simply aren't. It is completely drinkable (i.e., it's not made improperly) -- far more so than many Virginia wines at far higher prices. It works for cooking (and I don't want to cook with my treasured Alban either), and it's no problem if you'd like to mix it with something else. But at the very least, Trader Joe's has made drinkable wine accessible to a segment of the population that might not be able to afford, on an everyday basis, a wine that is finely crafted or complements or elevates one's meal.

And so what if Charles Shaw coincidentally provides a cheap delivery mechanism for alcohol? Is that any better the casual wine-drinkers who spend $100+ for a bottle of a wine at a restaurant simply to justify their impending drunkenness or show off their wealth?

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Having been kicked out of the Pirates union for having been observed helping a little old lady across the street....

I don't think that Charles Shaw deliveres a drinkable wine for $3.49. Sometimes it is but mostly it is not. Thats the problem. They use such vast quantities of wine bought on the open market that there is no integrity in the label. The wine changes vastly from bottling to bottling. In any case, there are so many better wines for just a touch more money....

And a trouch more money is the point. In America we ahve a cheap is best mentality and the result in the Wal Martization of America. The local burger joint has been replaced by McDonalds. Now we ahve foods manufactured to McD's specs which can cause illness and have degraded our national food priduction.

Yes people can spend $3.49 on upChuck, but the only way that price can be maintained is by bottom feeding off the mistakes of others. There is a wine glut n California. There is a wine glut all over the world. But upChuck is not just a negotiant. You are gettting spoiled wines cleaned up by winemaking tricks that result in a desultory product.

I just went onto Toatal Beverage's website for some giggles. For $5,29 you can get Fossi Rosso or Bianco. For $5.99 you can get Delicato which come from the same vineyards every year. There are bag in the box wines that are certainly better than upChuck. $4.79 buys you Concha y Toro made from family owned vineyards and vineyards under contract to this venerable winery. Black Swan and Lindemanns are both very cheap. As cheap as upChuck? No. But the only reason to buy upChuck is that it is $1.50 or less a bottle than these wines that are real wines with at least a modicum of flavor. And that is before sale prices, coupons etc. Joe Riley has an end of bin sale going on right now and I bet there are $5.00 gems.

But the difference with these other wines is that they are made by companies who actually make wine and are a part of their local industry, not a bottom feeder like upCHuck and Bronco. These are entry level wines that will educate novice drinkers into a little of what is possible with wine for not very much money.

As a disclosure, I worked very briefly for Bronco Wine Company and so any objectivity I may have is colored by experience.

I would sooner drink water than drink upChuck.

And so what if Charles Shaw coincidentally provides a cheap delivery mechanism for alcohol? Is that any better the casual wine-drinkers who spend $100+ for a bottle of a wine at a restaurant simply to justify their impending drunkenness or show off their wealth?

I am just as much against the overpriced stuff as I am upChuck. Insignia is made using RO and spinning cone technology. What ever happened to dumping grapes in a fermenter and letting mother nature take her course? Gravner does it and I have had the joy of turning dozens of people on to Gravner and men of his ilk.

But the difference here is that those who support the cult wines at the cult prices (and the RP 95+ point wines) would wind up competing with me for the stuff I love to drink if they could only get over their "follow RP and WS" and "Look at what I can afford" style. I mean Screaming Eagle, Bryant, Vineyard 29 all sell for way more than a Ridge Montebello. The Montebello has a 40 year track record with one winemaker in its history. It is a known quantity. These others are made in a style no one has much of a track record with. In my opinion, they are undrinkable due to over ripeness and over oaking. When a customer pours me one of these overpriced and over done wines, I am glad I dodn't have to pay fo them. I am all for stylistic differences, but I think the emperor of highly rated wines is vastly short of a wardrobe.

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Somewhere there must an advertising person, who came up with "two buck chuck" ... after getting assurances

from the production accountants that the price would be two dollars... now slamming head into a wall.

"$3.49 chuck" is just not going to work ... might as well name a wine something silly like ... oh, how 'bout

"Fat Bastard".

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how about:

terroirism

terriorible

And the "winemaker" is a terroiriste! Let me just reiterate the costs involved: cork costs 25¢, bottle costs 75¢, label costs 10¢, shipping to here costs 15¢, marketing has some vague cost. Bottom line, juice in the bottle is worth pennies. With so much juice being sourced all over California, of course there are bottle differences since the "chardonnay" can contain up to 24% columbard, chenin blanc, sauvingon blanc, riesling or whatever else they buy. Ditto the red wines. "Cabernet" with refosco, zinfandel, barbera, merlot or who knows what in it. This shouldn't be a surprise. The amazing thing is that people actually like the wine. Well, that shouldn't be too amazing, either.

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This shouldn't be a surprise. The amazing thing is that people actually like the wine. Well, that shouldn't be too amazing, either.
SIX cases! Six!!

I mean.....is it good that they are at least drinking wine as opposed to NOT? Answer: Probably, but not by much. Maybe it's a gateway wine!

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My 94 year-old father drinks Charles Shaw merlot. He claims that anything better is wasted on him, because he has lost most of his senses of taste and smell. He also hates to spend money on himself. He likes to get a little buzz on in the afternoon, and it takes him two or three days to finish a bottle. When I go out to L.A. to visit my folks, I buy some decent wine to drink with them. He does have enough sense of taste to notice that it tastes good, and my mother definitely notices the difference, but as soon as I leave, they're back at Trader Joe's buying two buck chuck.

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My 94 year-old father drinks Charles Shaw merlot. He claims that anything better is wasted on him, because he has lost most of his senses of taste and smell. He also hates to spend money on himself. He likes to get a little buzz on in the afternoon, and it takes him two or three days to finish a bottle. When I go out to L.A. to visit my folks, I buy some decent wine to drink with them. He does have enough sense of taste to notice that it tastes good, and my mother definitely notices the difference, but as soon as I leave, they're back at Trader Joe's buying two buck chuck.
At least it's better than buying 10 bottles of Nyquil©.
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"Cabernet" with refosco, zinfandel, barbera, merlot or who knows what in it. This shouldn't be a surprise. The amazing thing is that people actually like the wine. Well, that shouldn't be too amazing, either.

There is nothing which guarantees that your cabernet won't have colombard in it.

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We're talking about college students here. The sole purpose of the beverage is to get your drink on. If that's the goal, I would venture to guess that flavor is immaterial. Back in my day it was Milwaukee's Best-- sometimes on sale for $4.99 per CASE at my dorm's closest liquor store. That shit is as much beer as 2-buck is wine.

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We're talking about college students here. The sole purpose of the beverage is to get your drink on. If that's the goal, I would venture to guess that flavor is immaterial. Back in my day it was Milwaukee's Best-- sometimes on sale for $4.99 per CASE at my dorm's closest liquor store. That shit is as much beer as 2-buck is wine.

Confession time: When I started college, the Friday night activity in our dorm suite was to collect $2 from the 6 roomates and purchase a CASE (12 bottles) of Boone's Farm Apple Wine. Finishing that case was the object of the evening. 4 years later, a friend and I splurged and each put up $12 to buy a bottle of 1970 Chateau Lafite Rothschild (for $24 ! ). The rest, as they say, is history.

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OK - I'll admit to something sacreligious here.

I actually cook with Chuck wines when I have a recipe that calls for some small amount - 2 tbs, 1/4 cup - of wine. It delivers the needed wine-i-ness and the flavor is secondary. jenrus and I don't drink a lot of wine around the house, so we seldom have a half used bottle of something laying around open.

Shun me as necessary.

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We're talking about college students here. The sole purpose of the beverage is to get your drink on. If that's the goal, I would venture to guess that flavor is immaterial. Back in my day it was Milwaukee's Best-- sometimes on sale for $4.99 per CASE at my dorm's closest liquor store. That shit is as much beer as 2-buck is wine.

Pretentious college students, maybe. One of the few identifiable characteristics of Two Buck Chuck is its dryness, whereas my personal observation of college student wine purchases (based mainly on the busloads that stop at tasting rooms up and down the Finger Lakes) is that they zero in on the sweet wines, red or white, made from sweet grapes and often enhanced with extra sugar.

I think it was the Trader Joe's people who said that their goal was to make it affordable for the average American to open a bottle of wine with dinner, to make it an achievable lifestyle choice instead of something saved for only special occasions. The cachet (or novelty) lies in opening the bottle, not in drinking the wine within, otherwise they could have done the consumer better by selling a ready-to-drink bagged wine. To that end, they've succeeded brilliantly in making their bottle and cork suppliers happy.

Mark's cost breakdown sounds familiar. When Bronco launched the Shaw brand, the going rate for bulk winemaking juice had fallen below the $1/gallon mark, which puts their juice cost at less then 20 cents per 750ml bottle. A plastic cork costs more.

Perhaps nothing could be more populist or American than a cheap, manufactured-in-USA, non-toxic bottle of wine. "We manufacture in volume, and pass the savings directly to you!" Like tattoos, helmets, in-laws and fugu, there are some things you just shouldn't shop for on a lowest-price basis.

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I think we forget here are a lot worse wines out there at similar prices. Most of the $3 wines that come to mind are so much worse. We have tried the various 2 Buck Chucks (2bc). I agree with everyone that the quality control is not stable. Personally it gives me with a headache after a glass or or two. 2bc is cheap, unpretentious, recognizable and available. The financial risk is incredibly low and the price has remained constant. Chalres Shaw has received a lot of press thanks to this wine.

I was a wine drinker in college. The party option was Bud Light or trash can punch. If you are buying wine in college, you've already committed to drinking something for more than just the buzz. There's plenty of options that are cheaper and easier to consume rapidly.

There are still plenty of cheap wines in the $5-10 range that are less brutish than the 2bc. The problem I ran in to during college was when I found a cheap good wine, eventually everyone else did and up went the price. 2bc and Trader Joe's hasn't done changed the price. It was a constant challenge to find new/different cheap wines. I still remember my first Boony Doon's Big House Red that I bought for $6 in college. It was by far the best one my roommate and I had found. We split a case we were so excited, making it the first case we ever bought. Seems there is a similar excitement surrounding 2bc.

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People should drink what they enjoy and what they can reasonably afford.

My job is to simply allow consumers to explore the wide variety of lovely wines from around the world which are available to us, and I encourage them to try interesting bottlings.

We still have our customers who buy Inglenook "Chablis" 1.5L and Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc 1.5L and 4L jugs of "Burgundy" from California. That's fine. I'm happy to sell it to them and provide them with their drinking pleasure. But I also stand by to help them when they are ready to "step up" to something different (and possibly better).

If Charles Shaw wines make some people happy for a pittance, then good for them. But I'd love to sell those consumers some other under-$8 wines that are of terrific quality and show them what they've been missing.

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