Vintage 2-Buck Chuck

January 21, 2009

As an experiment some years back, I socked away a few bottles of Charles Shaw wine. This fine vintage, for those unaware, is sold by Trader Joe’s, initially for $2.00/bottle – hence the widely-used nickname, “2-Buck Chuck”.

It’s actually pretty good, for $2 wine… it costs a little more now, but it’s still a good value, and perfectly drinkable on such occasions as camping trips, boat voyages, and such adventures where more delicate or costly bottles might not fare well.

So. Last week I came across a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from 1999, and, having run out of everything better, I figured now was as good a time as any to try it out. Expectations were low, but one never knows… And now: just how good is a 9-year-old bottle of 2-Buck Chuck?

Well, not very. It hadn’t spoiled (e.g. wasn’t vinegar, yet) but it was clearly past its prime – which was, in all likelihood, in 1999. The bottle has been relegated to cooking tasks, and will make an excellent contribution to “Anna’s wine sludge”!

The next experiment: a blind tasting perhaps, of my carefully-hoarded flight of Charles Shaw Merlot, 1997-2003!

Vintage 2-Buck Chuck - January 21, 2009 - chad r. frost