Where and how did Two Buck Chuck's originate?

Answer 1

Two Buck Chuck is the moniker for a new line of California wines sold under the Charles Shaw label. The wines in the line include a Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Each is packaged in a reasonably expensive-looking bottle with a real cork (well, a "real" synthetic cork) and a nice foil capsule. The kicker is that the full retail price of Two Buck Chuck is $1.99 a bottle (in some areas readers may find a price of $3.49. According to a spokesman for Trader Joe's, the difference reflects shipping costs and differing state regulations.)

There is no Charles Shaw winery. Two Buck Chuck is bottled by the Bronco Wine Co., which is owned by Franzia, the box-wine juggernaut. It is sold exclusively at Trader Joe's stores. The company is selling so much (an estimated 1 million cases a month) that it can barely keep the wine on the shelf. Actually, "shelf" is the wrong word. I've seen it only on palette-size floor displays that quickly disappear as customers transfer the wine into their shopping carts and then to the back of their Chevy Suburbans.

Answer 2

Charles F. Shaw a real person once winery back in the 1980s. It since went bankrupt and closed and sold the name to Bronco Wine Company, a modesto, california based winery. The wine is nicknamed "two buck chuck" due to the 1.99 price tag. Only trader joes carries that brand. The very low price tag is due to the massive overplantings of grapes by Bronco Wine Co. in the 1990s.

Shiraz is OK...but the rest are very bland representations of the wines.

Previous poster mentioned that Bronco was owned by the Franzia box wine group. While the owner of Bronco is named Fred Franzia, there is no familial relation whatsoever to the Franzia who does the box wines. And the two should not be confused.