20070628

Two-Buck Chuck astounds wine judges

Some people love the idea, some competitors despise it. In any scenario, Charles Shaw Winery's inexpensive wines cause ripples in the wine world.

The latest ripple came in the California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition in Sacramento, where his 2005 chardonnay that is made by Bronco Wine Co. and retails for $1.99 a bottle -- thus the nickname "Two-Buck Chuck" -- was named "Best Chardonnay from California."

Chief judge G.M. Pucilowski said, “Since we judge all wines totally by variety, without different brackets for price, this double-gold achievement by the Bronco winemakers is astounding.”

Charles Shaw Winery is a brand owned by the Franzia family which has made wine in California for more than a century. Neither has any relationship to Franzia brand boxed wine.

Bronco president Fred Franzia said, “The customer has responded to our great values and now the judges to our quality. This is why we’re in business: to put the best wine possible on the customers’ tables at a reasonable price. I just wish some other retailers and restaurateurs had the courage and good sense to make these super-value wines available to more American wine consumers.”

Complete results of the competition are scheduled to be announced on July 12.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Somehow this does not surprise me very much. I have been to wine tastings where some (usually middle aged) guy announces in a loud voice that the wine tastes OK but he likes two buck chuck better. Isn't the best selling beer in the U.S. Budweiser? Hamburger meat outsells all other cuts of beef in the grocery store.