“I don’t think the wine is worth it,” said Bear Dalton, wine expert at Spec’s liquor store in Houston. Dalton explained that consumers can only get “Two Buck Chuck” for $1.99 in California - other states carry the wine, but not for nearly as cheap.
“The wine would have to sell closer to $3 after commerce because of the additional federal costs and mark-ups. There are wines that are $2.99 that are better. There’s no point in bringing it in. It’s an acceptable commercial wine, not exciting,” Dalton said.
Not everyone agrees on the quality of wine for the buck. Posert said Charles Shaw has produced a wine with exactly the right combination of taste and price.
“I would say in the hundred reviews of Charles Shaw wine, there have been three people who said it wasn’t worth the price,” Posert said.
Regardless of the taste debate, no one can deny that Charles Shaw has turned an unrealized asset into cash. The California grape crop, which recently experienced a glut, has seen a decline in quality resulting in fewer wine makers wanting to purchase the grapes. This lack of interest caused the prices of grapes to fall, one reason why the Bronco was able to manufacture the wine cheap enough to sell it on the wholesale market for so little.
“Bronco Winery, Co. is buying the grapes at low prices and turning around and selling wine at a low price,” Dalton said. “It’s only possible because the wine is moved directly to retailers. There is no middleman.”
Local wineries and vineyard owners are baffled by the craze over Charles Shaw.
The truth is, California is so ideal for growing grapes (especially reds) that even the cheapest are consistantly good. You either have to mishandle the grapes (like let them rot) or screw up the winemaking process badly to make a bad wine from them. So Charles Shaw can buy surplus grapes, blend them up and make a very decent, drinkable wine that people can afford. In fact, it has won the gold medal in at least one contest.
There's almost a 50% markup here in North Carolina. Trader Joe's is selling it for $2.89 a bottle. I feel so cheated! ;o)
If you live in CA there are even better deals available intermittently.
Dollar stores there often sell wine, sometimes even in the 1.5 liter size, obviously for $1.
I’ve gotten some very decent stuff from Chile, France, Oz, Italy, NZ and of course CA. The only factor they have in common is that it didn’t sell well at the liquor store.
I used to buy a bottle. If it was okay I’d go back and buy out their stock.
Sometimes it was pretty bad stuff, though.