A return to ‘Two-Buck Chuck’ in California

The O.G. of private label wine,  Trader Joe's “Two-Buck Chuck,” is back to being $2 again — at least in California. The Los Angeles Business Journal reported that Trader Joe’s has rolled back its Charles Shaw wines to their infamous price point and that it’s a permanent move. The price of the wine had been around $4 and $3.

Monrovia, Calif.-based Trader Joe’s made the move because the volume of the wine is so high, selling more than a billion bottles since introducing the brand in 2002, according to the article. Other reasons cited in the article include an abundance of grapes available in California in the last two years, and the Charles Shaw brand's enhanced packaging that uses less glass and a modified cork that helps contribute to cost savings.

Because distribution costs are higher in other states, the Two-Buck Chuck moniker will only be in California for the time being.

Here’s a ranking of Trader Joe’s wines from Business Insider.

Private label wine continues to trend upward in 2020, and it’s worth noting that the Charles Shaw brand is one of the first. Just last week Giant debuted Artie wines in the Virginia area. Gelson’s Market debuted new wines recently, as did Target, Amazon and Lidl. BJ’s Wholesale, Costco, Aldi and Trader Joe’s all have been selling private label wine.