food-drink -

Big Winer

A great bottle of wine for less than two dollars? Sure, if you like the taste of monkey pee.

Hold the screw cap, skeptic. California vintner Charles Shaw, dubbed Two-Buck Chuck by loyalists, sells his full-bodied cabs, aromatic merlots, crisp sauvignon blancs, and buttery chards exclusively at Trader Joe’s. Hence, the under-$5 wine craze. (We’ve even seen people back up the SUV and load in a case or two. At these rates it’s cheaper than Diet Coke.)

Blame a bonanza harvest, which led to excess supply. Wineries had to do something with the grape glut, so everyone jumped on the trend. But Charles Shaw, with his cult status, leads the pack. His inexpensive and delicious wines compete with the likes of Clos du Bois and Kendall Jackson’s $10-$20 bottles.

No cheap wine hangover. Nary a screw cap in sight. And 100 percent pee-free.


Available exclusively at Trader Joe’s. To find the location nearest you, go to traderjoes.com.