9 Ways Trader Joe's Changed the Way We Grocery Shop

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It Made Cheap Wine Cool

Before Trader Joe's, there weren't many grocery stores that normalized the buying and drinking of decent cheap wine. Then came the famous "Two Buck Chuck" aka Charles Shaw wines priced at $1.99 that earned a reputation as dirt-cheap bottles that were surprisingly drinkable. Although wine snobs might scoff at the flavor, about 800 bottles of the affordable adult beverages were sold between 2002 and 2013. While the price has since gone up slightly, the Two Buck Chuck recently returned to its original price point in January. And that's one way you democratize wine.