"two buck chuck" news and stories

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.

As is the case with these things the battle over Two Buck Chuck having Napa on the label has finally been settled. The wines, officially called Charles Shaw made the headlines as being of (generally) reasonable to good quality at just $1.99.

A lawsuit was brought against the producers, Bronco Wine Co., by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control after a request from the Napa Valley Vintners trade group. The wines label ran counter to a 6 year old state law that at least 75% of the grapes used to make wine must be grown in the county named on the label.

Bronco Wine Co. agreed to drop "Napa" from the label of a wine made with grapes grown outside Napa Valley wine region. Two of Bronco's Napa-named wines will contain Napa grapes, the company said.

Source