Trader Joe’s Two Buck Chuck Is Back To Two Bucks (In California)

Iconic Wine Is Again Just $1.99 A Bottle

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Wine & Spirits Blogger

Two Buck Chuck, the iconic wine and signature item of the Trader Joe’s affordable gourmet grocery store, is back to costing two bucks.

In California, anyway.

Charles Shaw wine pretty much carried the Trader Joe’s brand on its back until people realized the store carried other high-quality items at bargain prices. For decades it was just $1,99 a bottle, earning it the “Two Buck Chuck” nickname.

Then, suddenly, the price rose to $2.49 a bottle and as the chain spread to states beyond its California roots, the cost there rose to as much as $3.49.

And while TJ’s sells other very good wines at sometimes rock bottom prices – you can get some very good imports and California wines for at little as $3,99 and there are several selections for less than $10 a bottle – the iconic wine’s famous nickname no longer carried any weight.

But wait! Suddenly, Trader Joe’s reduced the price of Charles Shaw back to its original $1.99 a bottle. In California, anyway. Other states are still paying $3.49. For now.

Part of the reason for the price drop is the grape gulch in California. The state is simply producing too many grapes and there’s more wine available than people are buying from the state. And in any consumer business, when there’s more supply than demand, the price for that product drops, and this is the case with wines throughout the Golden State.

So Two Buck Chuck is back to its roots. And while you’re at Trader Joe’s, take a look at the other wines on sale. The ones sitting on the barrels in front of the wine section with the sale prices on them are often the best bargains in the store.

TJs buys volumes of wines from wineries looking to get rid of stock and you could wind up with some sensational wine bargains.

Cheers!

RELATED POST:

• Hooters Launches Hooters Spirits House Liquor