"CharlesShaw" news and stories

Californians, I'm sorry to say this, but it looks like soon you're going to have to pay more for your Two-Buck Chuck. It already costs between $3 and $4 dollars in many of the other states where it's available (sadly, you can't get it for love or money here in Pennsylvania, where the Liquor Control Board regulates our booze purchases with puritanical zeal) and in light of the proposed tax increases in CA, soon there won't be a bottle of red to be hand for just a couple of singles.

For those of you not in the know, Two-Buck Chuck is a wine that is officially known as Charles Shaw and is sold exclusively at Trader Joe's stores. It's surprisingly drinkable for something so inexpensive and has become the tipple of choice for all your better college potlucks and backyard pitchers of sangria.

The price will only rise if a newly proposed tax hike, charging $.05 per drink in the state of California, goes into effect. The state calculates that there are approximately six servings of wine (at five ounces per serving) in a 750 mL bottle of wine. This would increase the state tax per bottle from $.04 to nearly $.30. Two-Buck Chuck works with a very narrow profit margin and this increase would effectly eliminate it.

The good news is that the wine would still remain fairly cheap and the state of California might be able to stave off impending budgetary catatrosphy.

Source

Everybody raves over Two-Buck Chuck, the sub-three-dollar Trader's Joe's wine made by Charles Shaw.

What they don't rave over-- but should -- is Il Valore Primitivo, a wine from the Puglia region of Italy (the "heel "of the "boot," geographically speaking). It's made from red Zinfandel grapes, and it's perfect with Italian food (naturally) but would work well with any grilled red meats. And quite frankly, it has a depth and complexity that one expects from Zinfandels in the $10 to $15 range.

The price? That's the best part. At the TJ's in Northern Virginia where I make pilgrimages once every six weeks, it's selling for $4.99.

So why spend money on Charles Shaw when you could have a real wine for five dollars? I'll admit, Il Valore Primitivo doesn't have a catchy nickname ("Five Bill Il" was the best I could come up with), but dollar-for-dollar, it's more bang for the buck than Chuck.