Wine at Trader Joe's in California

Morning,
From what I am reading Trader Joe's in California sells wine. What is this stuff I am hearing about called Two Buck Chuck? Thanks,Richie

[KittyKan8]

Salmon Creek Merlot is my FAVORITE wine - it's $6..99 a bottle at a package store near me. I love this stuff - and I am a former food technologist who did taste testing panels years ago- I like to think my palate is more sensitive than others. Very picky about wine-but it's hard to find one better!

[zin1953]

Salmon Creek is yet another label from Bronco, the folks who bring you "Two Buck Chuck," aka Charles Shaw.

[chuckl]

you can't find anything better than salmon creek merlot? I think you need to look harder

[jsteingarten]

Can someone recommend a good white wine at TJs for under $13?

[OCEllen]

Estancia or Firestone chards. are about $8 and quite good.

We have been drinking Two Buck Chuck Chardonnay for over a year now. We are not on a budget. We positively think this wine is very enjoybable and much better than any $10 bottles. We do keep $20ish bottles of Chardonnay around for entertaining; but, for a glass or two of chardonnay during the week, it is very nice and we are not tired of it.

Haven't tried any of the reds or any of the other whites to comment.

[lovesfood11]

what's every1s fav pinot at trader joes

[kare_raisu]

Its not pinot, but I think that Castinera, a Spanish Albarino from Rias Biaxas is fantastic - and carried only by them, as far as I know.

[chuckl]

they're not pinots either, but i think the 2 riojas TJs carries are pretty good. One has a silver sort of net around it, but i can't remember the name.

Now that I've returned to school we do drink 2buck Merlot as our "house red". We think that it's as good or better than many reds we've paid under $10 for. It's a decent and drinkable wine if you're on a tight budget. It is also fine for cooking, IMHO - even keeping in mind a cooking wine should be drinkable. I don't drink more than 1/2 glass or a glass in one sitting because I'm betting the sulfites often used in cheap wine making would give a nasty headache.

Even when I finish grad school, I suspect that we'll be keeping some around for maranades and saving our nice Shirah/Shiraz or Zins for our wine glasses.

I've seen it served in parties - and it has been reasonably received. It's far better than many wines I have been offered at a few parties. (Can you say white zin anyone?)

I personally like the Charles Shaw wines as a standard wine to have around, I often comment that Charles Shaw allows my "real" wine collection to age. There's something in cheap wines that my system can't tolerate, I've found that many varieties under $15 will give me problems, I've had one $50 bottle that gave me issues, and for whatever reason I can drink Charles Shaw. It's cheap because it is consistently inconsistent. You can have three bottles of a 2003 Cab, one can have a good balance and make you proud that you bought it for $2, one will taste like you paid $2, and the last one will be somewhere in between. I'm not a wine connoisseur, but I DO enjoy the better wines, and my wallet can't support that habit!

I guess everyone has told you that the "two buck Chuck" is a nickname for Charles Shaw wine for $1.99 (2 bucks)

IMO, it is highly overrated and not worth buying unless you just want alchohol in your system. All of it tastes terrible, always has, always will, no matter the vintage year. Anyone who says otherwise is probably not that into wine for the taste.

They say, a $5 wine for $2 - not bad. It's not a $5 wine. It is a $2 wine. I can immediately name four other $5 wines that are much more palatable than Two Buck Chuck. But, they cost $5 and you can't buy as much and seem impressive having cases and cases of wine to give away at a party, which is the reason behind so many people buying it. They like sharing.

I don't even consider myself a wine connoiseur and I am definitely not a wine snob.

Sure, there are more expensive wines that taste as bad as Two Buck Chuck. But, that doesn't make Charles Shaw worth more that $2. It means the others are probably overpriced.

That said, it is incredibly popular >>> probably the biggest seller at Trader Joe's (which I think is the only place you can get it).

It's a $2 wine. Period. No worth more.

The hype will remain as long as people just talk about it and don't actually taste it.

Read more of both sides of the issue at these links below.

http://www.bob.myers.name/blog/article/231/
http://www.epinions.com/content_3152191620
http://www.snopes.com/business/market/shawwine.asp
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/02/eveningnews/main556620.shtml

I am not going to critcize those that like to drink Two Buck Chuck. But, I will criticze the wine. I am just not going to drink it at your party, okay?

And, put in Chowhound terms >>> would you drive 30 minutes to a place JUST to have Charles Shaw wine - at any price? Those discussing goodness in Charles Shaw wine are touting the price as the most impressive thing about it. Think about it.

Link: http://www.bob.myers.name/blog/articl...

Thanks. We needed that.
Very well said.
. . . jim strain in san diego.

Well......... the truth is the truth, isn't it. The thing is, though, that the vast majority of people can't really tell the difference, so there's not much point in trying to persuade them otherwise. I don't drink it either, but I've come to be very tolerant of other people's tastes.

I can tell a small group about the fantastic Tantara Syrah (from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria) I had a few weeks ago, that is 30-odd dollars a bottle. Some will look down on me for drinking 'cheap wine', others will nod in agreement - enjoying the discovery of a new wine to try, some will think I'm nuts for spending anything over $7 on one bottle. One may even say "what's Syrah?". It takes all kinds.

Another thanks. I didn't know quite how to put it. Just wanted to point out that this is Chowhound. I look for a little more than a quick buzz in my wine.

Well said kc girl, and I think Midlife also nailed it. My 80+ year old FIL, god love him, thinks 2buk is the greatest since sliced bread, but then to him anything that's a bargain (except most ingredients that go into his cooking) is worth bragging about.

Well, I'll bite....

First, I am mid-thirties with wine-snob leanings. I thought the best/funniest line in Sideways was (roughly) "We were drinking '94 Opus One with artichokes and smoked salmon." And I got Miles' being down on cab franc yet owning a '61 Cheval Blanc. Not that that means anything, but, for the record I am not a 22 year old drinking whatever doesn't make me gag.

So, that being said, if anybody thinks $2chuck is a great wine they probably have palate issues (or odd taste). However, the merlot, chard, and sauv blanc are acceptable wines. I haven't tried the syrah. By acceptable I mean it has a subset of the appropriate varietal characteristics though lacking balance and depth - as do the vast majority of wines under $8. So for the average consumer I see walking around TJs wine racks - they should just buy one of each $2chuck types and see if they like it. I am fairly sure there is not a sauv blanc clearly better than $2chuck at TJs for less than $10.

>>I can immediately name four other $5 wines that are much more palatable than Two Buck Chuck.<<<

Please do, I can't. We all look for bargains.

Furthermore, the whites are great for cooking. And don't misunderstand the 'don't cook with what you wouldn't drink' mantra. It refers primarily to off or spoiled wines in the vast majority of cases.

Please don't get me wrong here. I am not arguing that someone with the desire, money, and effort can't find better wines for $6-8 (try the Columbia Crest Grand Estates merlot, 2002). I am simply stating that if you sent a complete novice into TJs (and lets be real here - from the zombie-esque stares in the wine aisle - most people are) and had them buy 5 wines (same varietal) under $7 and compared them, blind, to $2chuck you would get the appeal. Most people don't know a dang thing about ANY of the wines they wander past so they just buy something that doesn't seem too cheap and they hate it, think they don't like wine, and are annoyed at blowing another $7. (Wine makers have zeroed in on $7 - most people aren't willing to spend much more than $7 on a blind guess, but don't want to appear cheap by going under $5 because nothing under $5 can be any good, right?) Then they read the hype and buy $2chuck and don't hate it. Revelation. They end up drinking more wine, possibly learning something and making more informed choices so they get something worth $7.

For me, with a significant other who does not drink, I think the merlot is fine with a Lorna's pizza, and I make a mean gravy for my roast chicken with the sauv blanc - and enjoy the rest with the meal. Nothing special, beats water, a Tuesday wine and I don't have to feel guilty about dumping a cup into my pan or not finishing it (yeah, I would feel guilty about dumping half an $8 bottle).

Just my two cents. Don't sound so angry! After all there are wine coolers and wines in wine bottles with fruit apparently added to be upset at.

Off topic, but got any other recs for TJ's wines?
My latest exciting find has been the Laurier Pinot Noir. And a great price at about $8.

I'll definitely try the Laurier - hope they have it in San Diego! Always, always hard to find a good pinot under $15.

As for the Columbia Crest Grande estates merlot, the 2001s are still on the shelf at (my) TJs, but the '02s are available elsewhere (i.e. SD Wine Co.). There is a large difference - the '01 is what you'd expect from a $8 merlot, boring, rough, disappointing. The '02 is vibrant, deep, long, wildly exceeds expectations.

I would also rec. the current DeLoach Zin for a 'weekday' wine- I am blanking on the specifics. It is their low end bottling , it is $5 and better/as good as similar (i.e. Ravenswood vintners blend).

I also just saw a Kim Crawford '04 Sauv Blanc for $12 ($14?), a great wine. When in doubt go Marlborough Sauv. Blanc.

Gloria Ferrer Brut NV, $12. Nice, rich, on the toasty side.

Cheers!

I think you mean the '00 Columbia Crest merlots are on the shelves, and the '01 is yummy. Maybe I am wrong.

thanks y'all been looking for a list of TJ's current wine deals as seen through the Chowhound perspective. There is a pretty good Sicilian wine at TJ's for either 3 or 4 bucks wayyyy better than the Chuck. Nero D'avola -- a bit one note but a good note!

>> Off topic, but got any other recs for TJ's wines? <<

That could be a worthy thread.

I wish they carried Concannon Chardonnay. It's about $8.99 when I can find it.

I've found Concannon Chard at my Safeway for around $6 on sale. Seems to be one of those items on perpetual "discount." Agree...it's quite nice w/ seafood and shellfish.

I like the Cline Red Zin (2002, I think) at TJ's for like $8. Also like the $5.99 Spanish tempranillo, but didn't see it in stock last time I went. I'm a bargain hunter and far from a wine snob, and even I can't drink the Charles Shaw stuff. Much better to pay a few more dollars for Rosemount Shiraz or a chianti or something.

Picked up a bottle of Coppola Bianco (4.99) and tried it last night. Out of the fridge I wasn't impressed but after it sat a bit it was quite drinkable. It's a blend of Pinot Grigio, Chard, and Sauv Blanc.

We've liked seeing Caparone wines at TJs. Caparone focuses on reds like Merlot, Cab and Zin but the specialty is the Italian wines: Sangiovese, Aglianico and Nebbiolo.

Of course we also have fond memories of the winery. Early in our relationship years ago we did some P.R. tasting. Following directions from a local we went down a narrow road until we found their small operation. With no one but us and the winemaker in the building, we got not only the standard tasting but also a private barrel tasting.

Hi all,

I agree, for quality vs price, Caparone was by far the best deal at TJs. I said WAS == the wife and I stopped by their tasting room last weekend, and learned that they've stopped selling to TJs. Their wine is now only available at a few shops and their wine club/website and at the winery. Still a great price, though. I picked up a few cases to make sure I didn't run out!!

I've run into a few other good deals there, but TJs ain't like it used to be. I liked the 2.99 barbaresco!
(back about 10 years ago)

Cheers!

Unfortunately, I have not been able to purchase any of your Caprone wine for months. I was wondering if you discontinued the wine, or if you carry them in another location? Can you please notify as soon as you bring a new shipment in, or give me information on new locations. Thank you.

Noticed your post about Caparone -- they're selling their wine mostly from their website now. caparone.com I think it is. Had a nice visit with them a while back, they're not in TJs in California any more.
Cheers
BG

Uh - "We were drinking '94 Opus One with artichokes and smoked salmon..... we didn't care."

>> Please do [name four good ones at $5 and better than 2 buck chuck], I can't. We all look for bargains. <<

AT TJ's
Dunnwood Estate Signature Chardonnay
Regianno Lambrusco
Buena Vista Chardonnay
Australian Shiraz (a few brands at TJ)

Oops, that's Dunnewood with an "e"

Two Buck Chuck is a $2 wine and no comparison to MANY others available at Trader Joe's for $5. Makes sense since the Charles Shaw is only $1.99.

And, one also has to know the "politics" in wine labelling and marketing, too. But, that's another website.

Your post seems to be all over the map with your opinion of the wine. But, would I be right in guessing that you're saying that you think Two Buck Chuck is worth $5?

kc girl, since I started the comparison to a $5 price point I should probably weigh in here. My point was not intended to make the comparison on a quality level. I don't think I could find a $5 wine that I would like any more or less than $2 Chuck. In that range it's all pretty much the same to me. I tried it again, a few weeks ago, and the bottle is still in the fridge awaiting pasta sauce duty.

The economics of the situation, though, are such that Bronco and TJ's bring, to this specific wine brand, a combination of efficiencies that result in a significant price advantage over most other wines you'll find at TJ's. So the wine would sell for significantly more in a more traditional supplier/retailer relationship. Whether that means $3.49 or $4.49, or ???? I don't know.

On the value question, specifically, I do find some wines that I find decent as 'daily drinkers' in the low-end price range..... not many, but some. One is Rex Goliath, which is sold at Cost Plus (and sometimes at Whole Foods). It's usually $5.99-$6.99. The Pinot Noir is the variety we like the best. I call it a $6 wine that drinks like a $12 wine (at the risk of starting this whole conversation over again). In this case, though, I AM talking about quality.

One of the most enjoyable parts of wine as a 'hobby' is finding what they refer to as good "QPR" (quality/price ratio) wines. Sometimes that"s a $25 wine that tastes like one at $75, but it's more fun to find a great value at a price where you don't have to cringe when you pop the cork on a wine that cost many times more than the Costco salmon you have on the grill. The other side of it, of course, is that you will always find someone who thinks what you're drinking is swill.... even at much higher price points.

Thanks for the recs.

>>Dunnwood Estate Signature Chardonnay
Regianno Lambrusco
Buena Vista Chardonnay
Australian Shiraz>Your post seems to be all over the map with your opinion of the wine. But, would I be right in guessing that you're saying that you think Two Buck Chuck is worth $5?<<

I disagree with the Lambrusco and the BV Chard. In fact I think they are the perfect comparisons. BV is the old $3.50chuck. Tastes like chard and its $3.50! Any good? Well, you could do better for $8. Haven't tried the Dunnewood, and I can't think of any Aussie syrahs at TJs under $5 worth it. Rosemount typically runs higher. Lindemans under $5 and good? Maybe.

How I am all over the map? It is flawed (lacks depth and balance) but tastes like its grape - a description that can be applied to the vast majority of wines under $10.

And no, I would not buy $2chuck for $5. The same way I don't buy Reggiano for $4 (?) or Barefoot chard for $3 (?). Or Big House Red for $7 or Merryvale reserve merlot for $40. All flawed. Is Big House better than Chuck? Probably a bit, have to go blind to be sure. $5 better? Not to me.

My point is simply that we all have taste and we all assign value to it. You buy BV chard, I buy Chuck. Is BV a great wine? No. Would you pay 2.5x more for it or find a better wine at $9? Would I buy BV for $2? Yup.

Anyway, thanks for the recs, I will try the Dunnewood if they have it down here!

Just to be clear, Buena Vista is not referred to as "BV" in my book because there is another brand BV Coastal and I was not referring to that wine. The label says clearly "Buena Vista"
See, http://buenavistawinery.com
It's the Buena Vista Classic Chardonnay that is $5

Are you sure you tasted the right one? I've never seen it for $3.50 anywhere.

I was not recommending the BV Coastal http://winelibrary.com/reviewwine.asp...

I won't be able to comment on the several other wines you mentioned in this comparison to Charles Shaw. But, I can more than guess they aren't a two buck whatever.

Curiosly, I offer to you that Charles Shaw is not available anywhere but Trader Joe's. Think about it. Have you seen it in any restaurant? I haven't. Because it's not sold to restaurants, though they might bulk up at TJs for it. Ever wonder why?

"Buena Vista is not referred to as "BV" "

I am very well aware, I type like a monkey and thought it would be clear to use BV to abbrev. Buena Vista as spelled out immediately above it. I believe it used to be $3.50 or maybe $3.99. I haven't looked lately. Maybe I will give it another go.

"I won't be able to comment on the several other wines you mentioned in this comparison to Charles Shaw. But, I can more than guess they aren't a two buck whatever."

Didn't I list approx. prices? Not sure what you mean. The point is they AREN'T two-buck whatever.

"Curiosly, I offer to you that Charles Shaw is not available anywhere but Trader Joe's. Think about it. Have you seen it in any restaurant? I haven't. Because it's not sold to restaurants, though they might bulk up at TJs for it. Ever wonder why?"

I have no idea why this makes it taste bad. Preconception? Yeah, I hear the guy behind it is less than a stellar citizen. Fine, I don't know enough to boycott. It isn't sold to restaurants, but they might bulk up on it? So it is served in restaurants, but not sold to them. Huh, no idea what your point is. Maybe restaraunts don't offer it because it has received so much press everybody knows it is $2 so the place can't really charge say $12 for it and wouldn't bother to stock it for $6/bottle.

Quite frankly I don't understand your vitriol. The wine is not spoiled or 'off', it has varietal characteristics, is not wildly unbalanced, and has equivalent depth to most wines triple its price. How can you insist that others only drink it for the buzz?

I challenge you to send a complete novice into TJs with the instruction to buy 5 merlots $5 or under, including Chuck. Invite three other people over and try them all (the wine not the people : ) ) truly blind. I would guess that one wine would be better than Chuck to most of you, one worse than Chuck to most of you, and two similar to most of you. Then ask who would pay $X for the one they liked best or $2 for Chuck to drink with a take-out calzone on a Wednesday.

Don't drink it, don't serve it, don't disparage those who wish to save $3 and sacrifice little to nothing.

I troll TJs and Cost Plus and every wine store I enter for wines under $5. I drink about 2 bottles of Chuck a month and 2 bottles of Educated-guess-under-$5 a month. When I find a good one I buy a few more (see $5 DeLoach Zin), but I have yet to find one that replaces the role Chuck has (as elucidated by me in this thread). Hopefully one of the wines rec'd by you or others here will do it.

Anyway, enough debate.

Cheers!

This paragraph is a good example of you getting all over the map:
>>I have no idea why this makes it taste bad.<<
What? who inferred it?
And, you let loose with a few other misleading thoughts as if I had said something along that vein when I had not.

Certainly, I would say it does not taste good. IMO, it doesn't. But, I did not say the biting, stringent taste is a result of them not serving it. I don't think wine can go bad just because a restaurant doesn't have it on their menu. However, I may have implied that they don't serve it. The WWW says no restaurant buys it, but who knows what the backroom genius might conjur up to get past that solid rule and make a buck.

Anyway, two buck chuck is not sold to restaurants and I was wondering why. Many restaurants mark up a wine 50% or more and sell it. So, why not a $2 glass of wine. (I wouldn't order it, but . . .[you know the rest].

IIRC, I said that I don't criticize those drinking it, I just criticize that wine. So, if you serve it at your party, I won't drink it, okay?

I' m not taking sides here. I've already stated my position on Chuck. What I do want to add is that Charles Shaw wine is a 'proprietary brand', made by Bronco Wines FOR Trader Joe's and TJ's alone. That's the deal they made and they're sticking to it.

Proprietary branding is a bit unusal for the wine industry but not for lots of other industries, especially clothing and many home-related products. WalMart and E & J Gallo have teamed up to bring Alcott Ridge wines to WalMart stores. That's the only place you will find them.

I wouldn't look for either label on any restaurant wine lists. Not only are the makers most likely prohibited from breaching the exclusivity of the agreement, but I would concur that the extreme visibility of the price would make that a very hard sell.

With that I will duck and let the games continue.

>> wine coolers <<

The few times I tried to drink a bottled wine cooler, I actually felt a tingling enter my spine as I took a sip. And, then felt a little sick, like fevered and nauseated, slightly. I have never been able to drink a sip of a manufactured wine cooler without feeling it in my spine, so I never drink them.

Does anybody know why?

[trentyzan]

That tingle was the manufactured wine cooler stealing a bit of your soul... Really, I don't know - but a lot of them seem to have a ton of sulfites, artificial colors and flavors. Nas-tee. You may be having a mild allergic reaction, I dunno.

[Bill Hunt]

This has been my experience. I do not care how inexpensive a wine is, it needs to perform for me. Nothing in the C. Shaw/Bronco portfolio has lived up to this tenant. Luckily, I do not have to buy, based on price. It's about the performance only. To date, C. Shaw has not come close to performing.

Hunt

Two-Buck Chuck definitely has a place in the wine world. But...... when a producer is turning out millions of cases a year (that's not a typo, it's real) at that low price, the wine is pretty basic and varies based as much on the source of the fruit as on anything else. Where could you get that many grapes of consistant 'terroir' (he said, laughingly).

That said, it is a good example of mass sales allowing a $5 wine to sell for $2. A good deal for lots of people, for lots of reasons.

Just PLEASE don't serve it at any parties!!! Or make sure those who can't stand it have something else to drink - water would be much preferable!

[Bill Hunt]

A good reason to decant. There are three reasons:
1.) the wine needs to be separated from the sediment
2.) the wine can stand a bit of aeration - whites and reds
3.) you need to hide the label from the guests

It's #3, that I am talking about here.

Hunt

The Shiraz isn't bad at all...

Must be the Charles Shaw for 1.99, they have all different varities, my preference for them all has been the Merlot, sometimes they differ bottle to bottle BUT for the price, it's not bad.

Two buck chucks (three buck chucks where I live in Nevada) are wines produced by Bronco Winery in Ceres (next to Modesto) for Trader Joe's under the Charles Shaw label. Try one. If you like them, you're fine. I've found them to be inconsistent. They're better than jug wine. How much better is a matter of opinion.
Bronco Winery recently lost a bid to be able to make wine using the word Napa that didn't include a majority of grapes from Napa Valley, by the way.
Fetzer makes wine that's much more consistent. It also sells for $6 or $7 a bottle.

Recently I did some interesting internet research. We had a great meal at Lake Almanor along with a house glass of Salmon Creek Merlot, which turned out to be very tasty. This is a product of Bronco Winery sold only to restaurants at $2 to $4 per bottle. Our restaurant sells it for $12 but at several more pretentious establishments, I have seen it listed for $24. The Salmon Creek Cabernet Savignon won acclaim at the '91 Chronicle Wine Tasting competition besting the $80 runner-up after it was entered "accidentally???". I tried it but prefer the merlot, which is always delicious (4 bottles later). I love a good value wine though I've acquired a 1995 Pio Cesare Barbaresco that I'm waiting to swill because I'm weak.

Did Bronco own Salmon Creek when it won? It bought the rights to the Charles Shaw label from Charles Shaw, who left the wine business to work on Wall Street. When Charles Shaw had it, it was more of a traditional fine wine.

The article I read said Bronco Winery entered the wine but there may be more to the story, I don't know. I think the entry was a violation because it is not available to the public. Incidentally, this all started over 2 Buck Chuck, which I tried but didn't like. That stuff just taste like grape juice to me, but Bronco can make a tasty wine. I like their credo of selling wine that all of us can afford to drink everyday through volume over high prices. We'll just have to keep tasting to find the good ones. Oh well!!

[kelly edge]

Was the restaurant Gambonis Peninsula Grill at Lake Almanor? We had dinner there recently and it really was a great meal, like you mention in your chat.