Charles Shaw 'Two Buck Chuck'

[Pickles]

....they did a piece on this wine on 20/20 last night and some culinary students were rating it on a par with Kendall Jackson and it held its own against a $50 bottle as well. Of course they didn't say if all the varieties of CS were holding up well against the more expensive bottles. Has anyone tried it? I have heard reviews from "sucks ass".......to "very good, bought a few cases." TIA for any thoughts.

[Pickles]

Oh well...28 views and no one has anything to say. Thanks anyway!

[wesza]

Oh well...28 views and no one has anything to say. Thanks anyway!

Pickles:

Took me a while to look in my pantry to check my own in house wine.

Yes it was indeed "Charles Shaw" in a Chardonney and a Cabernet both available in Seattle from "Trader Joes' at $2.99 per bottle most of the time.

I use them for cooking, and since I rarely drink wine but I do serve it reguarly to friends whom find it acceptable but not exceptional.

Considering the prices that not bad at all.

Last week Trader Joes was outof the Charles Shaw which i've come to rely on so I purchased a Argentine Wine "La Boca" Chardonnay at the same price but haven't opened it yet in my experience their wine buyers are on the ball in finding real bargains in Beverages.

Irwin

[TatarsHat]

Pickle....

The piece on Two Buck Chuck last evening on 20/20 was very interesting.. I don't recall the man that bought the Charles Shaw company but he is one shrewd character and obviously didn't want to answer too many questions.

It appears he was grandfathered in when he bought the grape pulp and his "Napa" on the label wass still legal at that point. It's definately a "Napa" thingy.

I can certainly understand why the Napa growers are upset. Charles Shaw himself admitted that he lost his vineyard in his divorce and the ex sold it for $18K. Well....That's business. Messy as it may be but legit.

I am not sure now that they changed the labelling laws if this will slow him down. If he can make a wine that appeals to so many and sell it so cheaply and make 150 million, more power to him!!!

I make my own wine... It costs me $2 a bottle. ;-)) It is really quite excellent and have had accolades from many. I drink a little and give away most.

Time will tell...

[Pickles]

Thanks for the replies. I am fascinated by this stuff. I must get my hands on some. My brother-in-law just sold his liquor store and moved to FL! I haven't been to a liquor store since the show aired, so I am unsure if I can even score a bottle around here (upstate NY) but I will try and post my thoughts either here, or on the thread in the Food Media Section. Best, Pickles

[dls]

Oh well...28 views and no one has anything to say.  Thanks anyway! 

I'll repeat the basics of a reply post I made on the same subject a few months ago. I was in the local Trader Joes when they were introducing Two Buck Chuck. I asked the manager "How is it?". He replied "Do you like wine". I replied "Yes". He replied "Buy something else". Nuff said

[TatarsHat]

dls

I have never been one to rely on anothers opinion. Especially when it comes to taste. Why not spend 2 bucks and check it out????

[wesza]

Oh well...28 views and no one has anything to say.  Thanks anyway! 

I'll repeat the basics of a reply post I made on the same subject a few months ago. I was in the local Trader Joes when they were introducing Two Buck Chuck. I asked the manager "How is it?". He replied "Do you like wine". I replied "Yes". He replied "Buy something else". Nuff said

Seems like the Manager is well trained.

Spend more, feel like your enjoying more.

Frankly the majority of wines are considerably overpriced and have advertising contrived labels.

With wine it's always much better to put your money where it goes into your mouth. If and when you find something special at a resonable price then buy more.

Many of the brands that were considered cheapies years ago are now sold as premiums.

Just totay in Seattle Sunday Magazine section they recommended serveral "Boonie Doone" Wines in the $30.00 + Retail Price as being exceptional buys?

Irwin

[Exotic Mushroom]

Charles Shaw is fairly palatable, especially for people who don't have much of a taste for wine. I've found that it seems to be held in extremely high regard by people who know what it costs and also don't know very much about wine. That is to say, people seem to like it more when they know they're tasting a $2 bottle of wine than if they're drinking it blind.

Personally, I don't like the stuff at all. For me, it's drinkable, but then so is Night Train. I'm somewhat of a wine afficianado, so when I've criticized it, people will often accuse me of being a snob, or just liking expensive wines. I disagree. There are plenty of values to be found in wine if you're willing to do a lot of experiementing, and I've found a few wines in the under $5 range at Cost Plus that I think are pretty good (and not just good considering their price. That's a distinction many people make that I object to. Either you like it or you don't. A bad wine doesn't become more palatable because it's cheap.). But those wines are rare. And two buck Chuck is definitely not one of them.

[TatarsHat]

ummm

Fairly palatable?? Is that like taking a swill and spitting it out, or barely consumable? I really don't get it! They are selling tons of it and they did a blind taste test..against a bottle that sold for $50. I can't understand bashing a wine for it's price.? Albeit cheap.

Wine is like food.. It's all in the taste buds.

Some of the best things in life are free!!

[Craig Camp]

Why in the world would they use culinary students to judge wine - Bud perhaps, but not wine.

Other discussions on this topic below:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...=0entry206796

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...=0entry409009

[Craig Camp]

ummm 

Fairly palatable??  Is that like taking a swill and spitting it out, or barely consumable?  I really don't get it!  They are selling tons of it and they did a blind taste test..against a bottle that sold for $50.  I can't understand bashing a wine for it's price.?  Albeit cheap. 

Wine is like food..  It's all in the taste buds.

Some of the best things in life are free!!  

Europe is full of "2 Buck Chucks" that perhaps the majority of wine drinkers never go beyond. They just drink it and don't think about it instead of going through all these back flips to somehow justify it.

You can find a lot of people that will prefer the simple fruity flavors of 2 Buck Chuck and it cousins to a fifty dollar bottle of wine that is either too complex for their palates, too assertive in distinctive flavors or not intended to be drunk for many years.

Two Buck and wines like it are wines made to wash down a meal without getting much attention. Why this obsession (can't 60 Minutes find a more meaningful issue) with everyday plonk that is just like the everyday plonk sold in grocery stores all over Europe?

My neighbor buys bulk Barbera by the demijohn for under a Euro a liter. It's a quite drinkable, zesty fruity wine, but best not thought deeply about - it never sees Riedel or any type of stemware. You can buy even better wines in bulk from the south. Although I have to admit I haven't seen them being compared by culinary students on TV yet.

The fact that wines like this have to be put in 750 ml. bottles and sniffed, swirled, debated, and compared only shows how much wine is not a part of American culture and how disastrous our wine distribution system is for consumers.

[Pickles]

ummm

Fairly palatable?? Is that like taking a swill and spitting it out, or barely consumable? I really don't get it! They are selling tons of it and they did a blind taste test..against a bottle that sold for $50. I can't understand bashing a wine for it's price.? Albeit cheap.

Wine is like food.. It's all in the taste buds.

Some of the best things in life are free!!

I used to frequent a liquor store in South Boston, MA that had wines at "3 for 10." Three bottles, ten dollars. I got some absolutely delicious bottles at trial and error this way. So I agree, you don't need to spend a lot to get some nice wine rolling around on your palate. I have a *feeling* I may not like Two Buck Chuck when I get a chance to try him out. Only because I love complex flavors and rich taste when I drink wine. I like deep oaky flavors, berries, "jammy" heavy fruit tastes. I somehow think I'd be disappointed in a "thin" wine if this is the general feeling of 2BC. But....I still want to try!! I can't wait to get some.

[Craig Camp]

I don't think "over-oaked" or even "over chipped" is a complaint you will ever hear against 2 Buck.

[tcizma]

The chief dining critic for Chicago magazine had this to say about "Two buck Chuck" " Everything that could possibly be wrong with wine, short of being poisonous is wrong with this wine"

[tommy]

I don't think "over-oaked" or even "over chipped" is a complaint you will ever hear against 2 Buck.

for real? that's my biggest complaint with cheap wines. maybe i'll try to get my hands on this stuff to give it a shot.

[Craig Camp]

I don't think "over-oaked" or even "over chipped" is a complaint you will ever hear against 2 Buck.

for real? that's my biggest complaint with cheap wines. maybe i'll try to get my hands on this stuff to give it a shot.

Tommy - we're not talking about cheap wines we're talking about 2 Buck Chuck. Not a chance of even a chip in this stuff.

[sequim]

... but I do serve it reguarly to friends whom find it acceptable but not exceptional.

Irwin

They were probably just being polite

[tommy]

Tommy - we're not talking about cheap wines we're talking about 2 Buck Chuck. Not a chance of even a chip in this stuff.

so i can expect bracing acidity and bright grapefruit and honey flavors?

Edited January 12, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Craig Camp]

Tommy - we're not talking about cheap wines we're talking about 2 Buck Chuck. Not a chance of even a chip in this stuff.

so i can expect bracing acidity and bright grapefruit and honey flavors?

You can expect to pay two bucks. (or more outside CA.)

[HungryChris]

I think that Trader Joe's has exclusive rights to sell this wine. I don't think you will find it anywhere else. Whenever I go to TJ's I get a few bottles just to have around.

I probably give more away than I drink at home and people are usually quite interested in trying the stuff. It's not a great wine, but for some meals it works well.

I like to serve the Merlot in my best balloon stemware, it cracks me up, but it's not bad.

Cheers!

[Keith Talent]

Is it good? It is for the price, but then again you are getting pretty much exactly what you pay for. Which makes it good if merely for the fact that yeah it is disappointing, but how disappointed can you be in a two dollar investment?

It's definately "new" tasting. No structure from wood. The merlot is the most drinkable. All the varietals taste somewhat like home brew or wine from a kit, that overly grapey underdeveloped flavour you get when someone hands you a glass of their Chateau Garage.

Good for cooking.

[fifithewinecat]

Just to note that in one other forum, it was mentioned that WS in a blind tasting rated a Charles Shaw char as better than one of Mondavi's low cost char bottlings. Believe it rated in the mid 80's. Not totally swill.

Not to switch the direction of this thread, but if you are looking for low cost wines that are more readily available than at TJ's try these wines that might be in the same catagory, but better, which are recommended in Wine Discoveries by Arthur Damond.

2001 Pacific Peak (BevMo's house wine) cabernet sauvignon. "good fruit, some wood, an ample aroma and a medium body...some nuance and evident varietal character. Could even age a few years." Believe BevMo is now selling it for $2.99 a bottle.

2001 Sea Ridge Zinfandel. "This Safeway label zin is an incredible bagain. Fresh, lively and fruity, with obviously spicy zin character, the wine could age a few years..." This is selling for around $2.99

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"Wine Makes Everyone Hopeful"---Aristotle or Plato

[lala]

"Just totay in Seattle Sunday Magazine section they recommended serveral "Boonie Doone" Wines in the $30.00 + Retail Price as being exceptional buys?"

Irwin, with great respect, bearing in mind that you said that you don't really drink wine... surely you know that wines vary in prices and qualities? For anyone who's ever had a Bonnie Doon wine, they know that $30.00 is a good price for the quality. They are a terrific, small winery, and if you want to spend that kind of money, theirs are good wines to consider.

Myself, I'm hooked on their Essensia, their Orange Muscat dessert wine. Use it in the summer to make a Zabaglione to serve with berries and peaches...heaven!

And, no, I do not regularly spend $30.00 on a bottle of wine...$10.00 is more in my budget, unfortunately!

[ludja]

Irwin, with great respect, bearing in mind that you said that you don't really drink wine... surely you know that wines vary in prices and qualities? For anyone who's ever had a Bonnie Doon wine, they know that $30.00 is a good price for the quality. They are a terrific, small winery, and if you want to spend that kind of money, theirs are good wines to consider.

Myself, I'm hooked on their Essensia, their Orange Muscat dessert wine. Use it in the summer to make a Zabaglione to serve with berries and peaches...heaven!

And, no, I do not regularly spend $30.00 on a bottle of wine...$10.00 is more in my budget, unfortunately!

I agree that Bonny Doone has some very nice wines...

Just to clear up though--Essencia Dessert Wine is, I believe, from a winery called "Quady".

A dessert wine from Bonny Doon that I do like though, is their "Muscat Vin de Glacier". An 'eis wine' made from grapes that they freeze off the vine in freezers...

I've always been intrigued by the Essencia bottles also though; sounds nice to make a zabaione with it!