Even though it costs $2.99 now the famed Trader Joe’s
line of Charles Shaw wines have
taken off like no other. The “Shaw” line wines currently include Cabernet Sauvignon, White Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Valdiguie in the style of Beaujolais nouveau,
and limited quantities of Pinot Grigio. These
wines were introduced exclusively at Trader Joe's grocery stores in
California at a price of $1.99 per bottle, earning the wines the nickname "Two Buck Chuck”.
The Charles Shaw label is owned by the Bronco Wine Company, headed by Fred Franzia (formerly of Franzia Brothers wines). The Bronco Wine Company produces the Charles Shaw label at their Ceres, California winery, which is not open to the public. There once was an actual, eponymous winery owned by Charles F. Shaw, which produced Beaujolais-style wines in the Napa Valley AVA. That winery went out of business, and the name was sold to Bronco in 1990.
Fast-forward to today and millions of cases have been sold through the California-based stores popping up around the country (including spots at Ward Parkway in Missouri and One Nineteen in Leawood, Kansas). Having recently visited the Missouri location (the Kansas store cannot sell alcohol based on their archaic state laws) I thought I might grab a bottle to see what all the fuss is about … more on the taste test in a moment.
The Charles Shaw label is owned by the Bronco Wine Company, headed by Fred Franzia (formerly of Franzia Brothers wines). The Bronco Wine Company produces the Charles Shaw label at their Ceres, California winery, which is not open to the public. There once was an actual, eponymous winery owned by Charles F. Shaw, which produced Beaujolais-style wines in the Napa Valley AVA. That winery went out of business, and the name was sold to Bronco in 1990.
Fast-forward to today and millions of cases have been sold through the California-based stores popping up around the country (including spots at Ward Parkway in Missouri and One Nineteen in Leawood, Kansas). Having recently visited the Missouri location (the Kansas store cannot sell alcohol based on their archaic state laws) I thought I might grab a bottle to see what all the fuss is about … more on the taste test in a moment.
Note to self: shopping at Trader Joe’s on a
Sunday afternoon is not advised. The crowds were stupid … and I mean that is
most literal way! People were purchasing fake flowers and a 12-pack of beer
(both of which could have been bought at any other store) and waiting in line
for 20 minutes … who does that? So back to the task at hand: tasting wine!
The idea was to see if I could tell A)
which wine was the Charles Shaw and which was the “similar bottle” as well as
B) which wine I would prefer to drink. I am not an expert but I am quite
knowledgeable on wine and tasting. My sense of smell is above average and after
numerous years of sampling, sipping and spitting I have a pretty good idea of
what’s what!
So the wines were purchased: a bottle of 2010 Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa & Sonoma California) at
$2.99/bottle and a 2009 Cartlidge & Browne Cabernet Sauvignon (North Coast meaning Napa and Sonoma, California as well) at $9.99/bottle (I could
not find any other bottle of wine at $3 that I would recommend using for the
comparison).
Both bottles were opened and poured in
another room by the Mrs. so I could not see what was from either bottle. Same
amount of liquid in identical wine glasses.
The results:
- Color: Both were ruby red translucent with a washed out rim of color on both wines (Not surprising for 1 to 2 year old vintage)
- Smell: Both had a rich Cabernet scent … a bit of earth, cedar and spice but one of the glasses had a bit brighter scent than the other (Let’s call that glass RIGHT)
- Flavor: My suspicions were confirmed: RIGHT was fruitier in a very California (or Aussie) fruit-forward kind of way. Both were soft on the finish but RIGHT was a bit smoother than LEFT. LEFT was a bit drier (more of the style I liked and was hoping for)
So my guessing began … millions of cases
sold, fruitier and soft on the finish led me to believe RIGHT was the Trader
Joe’s Two Buck Chuck and LEFT was the Cartilage & Brown. Suspicions
confirmed! I was correct. Having guessed correctly I was pleasantly surprised
to see how well the Two Buck Chuck fared against other Cabernet. It’s not a
Napa Valley big boy but it is a decent $3 bottle of wine for Wednesday night
with burgers or pizza … so now I get it!
Will I purchase it again … maybe? I think I
am ok with spending $10 to $12 on a bottle but for mass gatherings where
non-wine drinkers will be in attendance I now have a suitable offering for
those occasions as well as a good fruity base for my next batch of sangria!
Feel free to do your own taste test and let
me know what you think!
Cheers!
