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Vin d'Expensive? Meritage Snooty? If that's the kind of name you were thinking would grace a winner of the California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition, get ready for a shock.
Try "Two-Buck Chuck," more formally Charles Shaw, the brand beloved of bargain but palate-sensitive wine shoppers. It's sold by Bronco Wine Co. exclusively through Trader Joe's.
Fred Franzia, president of Bronco Wine Co., holds a bottle of his 2005 California Chardonney. The wine won a double gold medal at the California State Fair Wine Competition.
Shaw's California Chardonnay took first place for Best Chardonnay from California. To some in the clubby California wine community, that must seem like a Michelin's Red Guide giving three stars to a roadside hamburger stand.
The Chardonnay received 98 points, a double gold, with accolades of Best of California and Best of Class.
"Since we judge all wines totally by variety without different brackets for price, this double-gold achievement by the Bronco winemakers is astounding," G.M. Pucilowski, chief judge and director of the competition, said in a Bronco Wine Co. press release.
While the complete results of the competition are to be announced July 12, Renata Franzia, from Bronco's Franzia family received the results Thursday.
Richard Peterson, veteran winemaker and a State Fair judge for 20 years, said in the release, "We have the most open judging I know. There is nothing to bias judging. We get numbered glasses. We don't know the region, brand or price. We evaluate the judges frequently to make sure they're tops in the field. Charles Shaw won because it is a fresh, fruity, well-balanced Chardonnay that people and wine judges -- though maybe not wine critics -- will like."
Bronco president Fred Franzia said in an interview that customers have proven to be discerning, buying more than 300 million bottles of Charles Shaw brand wines over the years.
"The consumers are way ahead of the judges here, and now the judges have figured it out," Franzia said in the interview. And there's more of this vintage on the way, Franzia said, so there will be a plentiful supply.
Franzia's next challenge is winning over the restaurant industry. "The restaurants are overcharging consumers for wine. If we could just get restaurants to sell wine at $10 a bottle, or $2.50 a glass, or less, heaven forbid. If I can sell 'em to Trader Joe's for $2 a bottle, and they can get five glasses out of it, you'd think they could sell it for $2.50 a glass and make consumers happy."
And yes, Franzia said, Two-Buck Chuck will remain $2 -- the price isn't going to increase.
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