http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...004581,00.html



$2 wine wins gold medal
Article from: The Courier-Mail



Anna Edwards

July 13, 2007 12:00am

A BOTTLE of "two buck chuck" has beaten hundreds of wines to the double
gold prize in a prestigious wine tasting competition in California.
Charles Shaw Chardonnay, which is sold for $US1.99 ($A2.30) beat 359
other Californian chardonnays, including a $55 bottle for the top spot.

Receiving 98 points in the California State Fair Commercial Wine
Competition, the winning drop was described as a "delight to taste," by
one of its judges.

Second place went to an $US18 $A20.86 bottle and the most expensive wine
at the event, which was $US55 $A63.74 didn't win a medal.

Unfortunately, Aussie connoisseurs can't try Charles Shaw for
themselves.The winning tipple is mass produced in California and only
sold through a franchise of grocery stores called Trader Joe's.

"We choose to sell good quality wines at $2 a bottle because we think
it's a fair price," winemaker Fred Franzia told ABC News after the win.

"We think other people are charging too much."

One of the judges of the event said it was likely some people wouldn't
like the winning "two buck chuck."

"You know, there are a lot of wines I don't like. So you drink what you
like, don't drink what you don't and you go home a happy camper," the
judge said.


--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia

Skydiving, like wine, is good from the first drop.