Two Buck Chuck Proves a Franzia Philosophy
The best selling wine in California history has both a formal name and one it’s earned by reputation – Charles Shaw wines and Two Buck Chuck are one and the same. Sold exclusively by Trader Joe’s markets, the modestly priced wines sell for $1.99.
The genius behind Two Buck Chuck is a third generation winemaker named Fred Franzia - a living legend in winemaking history. Fred Franzia, one of three family partners in Bronco Wines, has a philosophy about wines that challenge tradition. He believes, and proudly proclaims, that a good bottle of wine doesn’t have to cost more than $10. Fred Franzia’s backed up his bold statement by producing varietals under the Two Buck Chuck moniker and made money in the process.
Two Buck Truimphs
Franzia and his two partners started Bronco in 1973 after selling the long held family winemaking operation. In 1991 Fred Franzia bought the Charles Shaw Brand and made it into tangible proof of his anti-elite philosophy. Two Buck Chuck became a phenomenon – a draw for the eclectic Trader Joe’s chain. Customers march out, not with bottles of Two Buck Chuck, but with cases of the varietals. And, they love it!
So do many critics. Two Buck Chuck brought home the gold for Fred Franzia when the 2007 Charles Shaw Chardonnay received 98 points, a double gold medal, and was judged Best in Class and Best in California at the 2007 California Exposition and State Fair. In 2005, the chardonnay won yet another Best in Class and, in 2002, Franzia’s Shiraz was awarded a double gold medal in a tasting of 2,300 wines at the 28th Annual International Eastern Wine Competition.
The most familiar Two Buck Chucks are chardonnay, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. But, Two Buck Chuck is also available in other popular varieties such as White Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Grigio and Valdigue – a Beaujolais-style wine.
Franzia’s Artful Touch
Two Buck Chuck is artfully blended wine from premium grapes Fred Franzia is able to buy at advantageous prices or grow himself. Despite its more-than-modest price Two Buck Chuck is presented in a traditional 750-ml bottle with a cork – no short cuts like screw caps or putting the wine in a box. When People put a bottle of wine on the table or pour for friends, there’s no stigma attached. Two Buck Chuck is an attractive, award winning wine that just happens to be cheaper than some bottled waters!
Many world travelers have experienced similar wines in Europe. There, a simple yet good bottle of wine is everyday-affordable, even at restaurants. Until Fred Franzia turned the industry upside down with Two Buck Chuck, this simply wasn’t the case in America. Wine drinkers across the nation responded. Sales of Two Buck Chuck exploded until it became a household name. In states outside of California, Two Buck Chuck sells for $2.99 or $3.99, and the moniker changes to suit the scene – think Three Buck Chuck, etc.
Central Valley Vintner Roots
Two Buck Chuck and Fred Franzia are at home in California’s great Central Valley. It’s there in the farming community of Ceres that most Two Buck Chuck grapes drink in the sunshine. Because of improved viticulture techniques Franzia’s winery is able to produce higher quality wines from soils that were onceknown for grapes only fit for boxes. The wines are then trucked to the rolling Napa valley where Fred Franzia’s expansive bottling operation is housed.
It’s in this arena that Franzia has yet another vision. He plans to build a new bottling plant on industrial property next to Napa’s airport. There, he says a modern bottling operation will employ new technologies to make bottles in an eco-friendly manner that reduces greenhouse gases and employs at least 350 people.
Four Buck Fred Flies off Shelves
Although Two Buck Chuck does not carry the Napa appellation on its label, Fred Franzia in 2005 released a chardonnay and Merlot bearing the Napa appellation that requires 75% of grapes used in the wines come from Napa vineyards. Franzia suggested a price tag of just $4.99 on these Napa varietals and sold them exclusively through Trader Joe’s. Dubbed “Four Buck Fred,” the Napa wines flew off the shelves and within just a few months all 250,000 cases were completely sold out.
The price of these premium wines and Two Buck Chuck, support Fred Franzia’s contention that restaurants in the U.S. ought to learn a lesson from Bronco’s success. Franzia has openly challenged restaurant chains to adopt the Two Buck Chuck philosophy and offer a bottle of wine to diners for less than $10. This, Franzia believes, would handily cover restaurateur costs and leave a tidy profit to boot!
Deep Roots for Franzia
A savvy businessman who’s proven himself in a competitive market place with the blockbuster Two Buck Chuck, Fred Franzia came from a family tradition of winemaking that’s nearly a century old. His grandfather, Giuseppe Franzia, was an Italian immigrant who scraped and saved to build a family winery in the Central Valley. The family weathered Prohibition, The Great Depression and two World Wars.
Now, in a new century, Fred Franzia hails forth as a pioneer in winemaking and standard bearer for the Franzia family. His roots are still deep in the Central Valley and he continues to do business from an “executive office” that’s been described as a humble, unadorned trailer surrounded by farming equipment and thousands of acres of vineyards.
Two Buck Chuck rose the profile of Bronco wines and Fred Franzia in a way that some analysts say is good for the wine industry as a whole. Sales went up across the board and interest in California wines heightened. Two Buck Chuck made headlines in prestigious newspapers such as the New York Times, US News and World Report, MSNBC, Inc. Magazine and a host of other business publications that marvel at Fred Franzia’s success.
Introduced in 2002, the fifth anniversary of Two Buck Chuck was celebrated in 2007. By then, 300 million bottles of Two Buck Chuck had been carted home by the case and the bottle, making it the nation’s top selling wine.