$2 Chuck -- I Used to Use It for Cooking

[FunnyJohn]

After reading this , I wouldn't use it to clean my toilet bowl:

"And that means these large tractors with huge claws go down the rows of vineyards grabbing the grapes and depositing them in its huge receptacle. And it not only grabs ripe grapes, but unripe and down right rotten ones as well and throws them all together. Add to that leaves, stems and any rodents, birds, or insects that may have made those vines their home - they all get thrown into the bin as well. And guess what? You think there's going to be any sorting when that truck arrives at the winery (or should I say processing facility)? Nope. Everything, and I do mean everything (including all those unripe grapes, rotten grapes, leaves, stems, birds, rodents, and insects) gets tossed into the crusher and transferred to large tanks to ferment. So think about all the animal blood and parts that may have made their way into your wine next time you crack open that bottle of Two Buck Chuck! Hardly even seems worth the $2 does it?"

And it's not even $2 any more. [and yes, I am aware of the general injunction never to use wine for cooking  that you wouldn't want to drink.  Rules are made to be broken -- at one's own risk]

[RWBooneJr]

That "article" is crap, both for how it was written and the fact that it doesn't accurately describe the process for making an industrial wine like Charles Shaw. Among other things, the rodent thing is silly and the writer is apparently unfamiliar with how a crusher/destemmer works (it would generally remove most everything but the grapes even if they weren't sorted, which they probably are). The real reason that you shouldn't use Charles Shaw, even for cooking, is that it's bad wine. There is far better cheap wine out there.

[deangold]

I used to work for Fred Franzia and the Bronco Wine Company.  If you can't say anything nice...

[Mark Slater]

The wine snob joke used to be, the Cabernet sucks, the Merlot sucks, but if you mix them together......

[SeanMike]

I'd never claim those as good wines.

I don't know wines.

On a night like this, when I need some booze: a $5.99 bottle of Rex Goliath Chardonnay followed by a $13.99 18-pack (no, I didn't drink the whole thing) of High Life.

With about a pound of Harris Teeter sushi.

Can that price be beaten for someone just tired, hot, and looking for a glass of wine?

[FunnyJohn]

Rather than start another thread, here's something that debunks (apparently) the whole concept of wine tasting.  Make sure and read the punchline.