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Charles Shaw wine, also known as "Two-Buck Chuck," is beloved by budget-minded wine drinkers. Though a bottle sells for a paltry $1.99, many feel the wine tastes, well, pretty darn good. So why is it so inexpensive? Apparently others have wondered the same thing. The urban legend experts at Snopes.com address the many theories. One is that airlines had to dump their stock of Charles Shaw after they could no longer use corkscrews on flights. Not true. Another possible explanation: "Charles Shaw himself, engaged in a bitter divorce struggle," sought to reduce his winery's value by "flooding the market with cheap wine." Makes for a good story, but also not
true. Alas, the real reason is far less interesting -- there are too many wines in the world and not enough demand. Additionally, despite Charles Shaw's prestigious Napa label, the wine is "almost certainly made from cheaper grapes from California's Central Valley," helping to keep Chuck's costs down. And in case you're wondering, there really was a Charles Shaw. He started his winery in 1974 and later sold it to Bronco Wine Company, a conglomerate. Bronco revived the Charles Shaw label in 2002. People have been enjoying the "drinkable" wine ever since ... hopefully in moderation.
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