Parent organization Bronco Wine Company | ||
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Charles Shaw is a brand of "extreme value", bargain-priced wine. Largely made from California grapes, Charles Shaw wines currently include Cabernet Sauvignon, White Zinfandel, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Valdiguié in the style of Beaujolais nouveau, and limited quantities of Pinot Grigio. These wines were introduced at Trader Joe's grocery stores in California at a price of $1.99 per bottle, earning the wines the nickname "Two Buck Chuck". In 2009, an international version of Chardonnay from Australia was introduced in limited stores. Prices in states other than California have increased to as much as $3.79 per bottle. As of February 20, 2017, a bottle of Charles Shaw retailed for $2.99 in California.
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Ownership
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 was once 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.
In the media
Awards
At the 28th Annual International Eastern Wine Competition, Shaw's 2002 Shiraz received the double gold medal, beating approximately 2,300 other wines in the competition.
Shaw's 2005 California Chardonnay was judged Best chardonnay from California at the Commercial Wine Competition of the 2007 California Exposition and State Fair. The chardonnay received 98 points, a double gold, with accolades of "Best of California" and "Best of Class".