When was the last time you enjoyed a bottle of wine for $3 -- In the United States? Enter Charles Shaw, the "Two Buck Chuck" maker that in recent years has been selling their wines at $2 in California, and $3 elsewhere in the U.S. For those who equate absolute price to absolute value, you may think it cheap, or even liken it to spam. Nevertheless, we recommend you give it a try  
 
The staff at OregonWines.com tried out a few bottles of Charles Shaw's finest, and despite any negative reports we may have read by respected wine critics, we now understand why Shaw reds are selling so well at Trader Joe's. The reason is that there's a lot more to this wine than simply price point.  
 
The 2002 Merlot presented the full-bodied characteristics of a more expensive wine. It showed richness of body and sweet aromas of berry and spice, was mellow and soft on the palate with balanced acids, and even had a pleasant, lingering finish. In brief, everything you would typically look for in a good Merlot, but at only $3 a bottle.  
 
From our tests, we were forced to conclude that Charles Shaw Merlot is an excellent buy.  
 
 
 
With wine this good, why is there an air of negativity about it? Perhaps because it threatens the industry. Perhaps because consumers won't know the difference and put the higher priced producers out of business. Or simply because the industry likes to hype and overprice some wines, but must now concede that while the cost of production is certainly high, it's not that high?  
 
And then, what of the respected wine writers? How many positive reports on Shaw wines have you seen appear in the more trendy wine magazines? Probably not very many. Imagine the message that what would be sent if an elite publication were to put in a good word for the underdog, even were it an accurate and honest report.  
 
So consider everything we have said in this article. The next time you happen to see a bottle of Charles Shaw Merlot, give it a chance, and the next time you hear a wine critic speak poorly of Shaw, consider whether they are being truly straight with you, or simply buckling under pressure from their sponsors.