Trader Joe's Raises The Price Of 'Two Buck Chuck'
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Two Buck Chuck will no longer cost two bucks. Trader Joe's is raising the price on its famous Charles Shaw wine from $1.99 per bottle to $2.49 per bottle.
CBS13 set out to answer the question: Were there sour grapes from wine lovers about the suddenly pricier pour?
"Big deal," laughed one Trader Joe's customer.
You could call it the end of an era. For the first time since its debut 11 years ago, a bottle of award-winning Charles Shaw wine will run you more than two bucks at Trader Joe's.
"I think they just wanna make good wine, which is why it wins awards," customer Kate Moore said. "At least it's under $3, which is still good for college students."
Trader Joe's annually sells 5 million bottles of the award-winning wine bottled in Ceres. The grocer held out for years, but says it had to hike the price to $2.49 because its costs increased.
"Why do I buy it? Same reason everyone else does," customer Gabe Winn said. "It's inexpensive and it's good wine; it's decent."
Winn says he'll keep buying it; it's only a few extra quarters after all. The wine, known for being the best value around, may need a new nickname. Two Buck Chuck is no more.
"I can honestly say I've never had Two Buck Chuck, because I'm not 21 yet," customer Nicole Newitt joked. "I think it's OK, though, that they can raise the price."
The question now is will it still taste as good for $2.49 as it did for $1.99?
The wine already costs as much as $3.79 in other states thanks to distribution costs and alcohol taxes. California was the lone state with the two-buck price.
