Winery Famous for “Two-Buck Chuck” to Be Auctioned

A Napa Valley estate tied to winemaker Charles Shaw’s famous “Two-Buck Chuck” is heading to the auction block after failing to find a buyer.

Benessere Vineyards, a 42-acre St. Helena property with winery entitlements and Napa River frontage, is slated for sale through Concierge Auctions next month, the San Francisco Business Times reported. The offering comes after the estate lingered on the market for roughly two years, most recently asking $28 million.

The property includes a working winery, tasting room and two residences. The estate last sold in 1994 when Chicago-based John and Ellen Benish acquired the land and launched Benessere Vineyards. The family put the property on the market in 2024 for $35 million and later lowered the price to $28 million.

“Our parents bought this home and created a family legacy. My siblings and I have cherished every visit, every pour and every memory made,” John Benish, who is selling the home along with his four siblings, said in a statement, according to the Business Times. “Now, with our own grown children and all of us living around the country, it’s time for a new family to make their mark.”

The original winery on the property was owned by Shaw, a businessman and wine mogul. As bankruptcy and divorce loomed in 1991, Shaw sold off the winery and adjacent property to new owners. In 1995, the Charles Shaw label was sold to Fred Franzia, owner of Bronco Wine Company in Stanislaus County. Franzia began mass producing wine to be sold through a partnership with Trader Joe’s for $1.99 at the time, earning the famous “Two-Buck Chuck” nickname. Because the cheap wine was created after Shaw was no longer connected to the brand named after him, he never saw a cent of the proceeds from the Trader Joe’s sales, according to the Business Times.

Prior to its life as a winemaking hub, the property was used as a cattle ranch and later as a dairy farm in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1960s, it was converted into a thoroughbred horse ranch, complete with a racetrack on site. By the mid-1970s, the property had changed owners and most of the land was transformed into vineyards.

Bidding on the Benessere Vineyards property is set to open May 13 and close May 28. Offers are expected to start between $8 million and $12 million.

— Chris Malone Méndez