America’s most iconic discount wine is once again living up to its nickname.
Charles Shaw, better known as “Two Buck Chuck,” is the bargain offering from supermarket chain Trader Joe’s. Introduced in 2002, the wine retailed at $1.99 for over a decade, giving rise to the “Two Buck” moniker. In 2013, however, the price of Charles Shaw rose to $2.49 in California and has since risen to as much as $3.79 in various states around the country.
Now, Charles Shaw is once again retailing for $1.99 — but only in California, the Los Angeles Business Journal reports.
“We’ve been able to work with the producer of Charles Shaw to make some improvements packaging-wise so that it uses less glass and the cork is a little bit different,” Matt Sloan, vice president of marketing at Trader Joe’s, said. “These cost savings have put us into a position where we can pass a lot of that savings right onto customers.”
The price cut, which is reported to be permanent, only applies to California stores as transportation to other states brings added costs (Charles Shaw is produced by the Bronco Wine Company in Modesto, CA).
According to SFGATE, the price rollback is already in effect. When a member of the Bay Area new outlet’s staff visited a Trader Joe’s location in San Francisco, they found four different Charles Shaw wines on offer at $1.99. The wines were displayed beneath a hand-written sign declaring: “Two buck chuck is back! With a vengeance. Mmm… tasty revenge.”
If you’re looking to pick up a Trader Joe’s bottle that costs more than $2, discover VinePair’s selection of the supermarket’s best wines here.
