It could have only lasted for so long, but Trader Joe’s Charles Shaw wine — infamously known as “Two-Buck Chuck” — is no longer two dollars after an impressive 11-year run.
The California-based grocery store is officially “upchucking” the cost of its Charles Shaw wine, made largely from California-grown grapes and offered in a wide array of red and white varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot. But if you think the days of cheap after-work indulgence are gone, however, don’t rush to drown your sorrows: the price is only going up about 50 cents – retailing at $2.49.
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The wine hasn’t always been two dollars: in some states with higher distribution costs and taxes, the wine can retail up to $3.79. But in California, where it was first introduced, the price has held steady for a decade.
“Quite a bit has happened during those years and the move to $2.49 allows us to offer the same quality that has made the wine famous the world over,” Alison Mochizuki, spokeswoman for Trader Joe’s, told the Los Angeles Business Journal. “In general, our retail prices change only when our costs change.”
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The bargain wine, known by its price-conscious moniker, is produced by the Bronco Wine Company. Bad yields at the company’s vineyards in 2011 and 2012 contributed to the price hike.
The supermarket chain reportedly sells up to 5 million cases of the wine each year, and has sold over 600 million bottles since it originally debuted in 2002.