California winery that produces "Two Buck Chuck" lays off 81 employees as industry sees decline
STANISLAUS COUNTY – Bronco Wine Company, the company that produces Charles Shaw, more commonly known as "Two Buck Chuck," laid off 81 people at its Stanislaus County winery.
"Bronco Wine Co. today announced a reduction in force (RIF) impacting a number of positions across the organization, as part of a strategic restructuring plan to enhance operational efficiency and adapt to the challenging headwinds in the wine industry," the company said in a statement. "Bronco Wine Co. made this decision after careful consideration to streamline operations and position the company for long-term sustainability in the face of shifting population demographics, consumer trends and industry headwinds, and over supply of wine grapes in the marketplace."
Marsella Family Vineyards Winery owner John Marsella said his Oakdale company is thriving despite recent statewide trends.
Marsella said he saves money by never outsourcing.
"We sell only from the winery. We don't have any exposure in any of the stores or the restaurants. We only make about 300 cases of wine a year. So we don't really, we can't really, support selling in stores," Marsella said.
Marsella said he can provide a unique experience for customers by providing everything on the property.
"The winegrape industry in Stanislaus County has experienced a significant decline over the past five years, with harvested acres dropping by nearly a third," Stanislaus County Agricultural Commissioner Linda Pinfold said in a statement.
According to the Stanislaus County Agriculture Commissioner's Office, harvested acres have decreased from 9,226 acres in 2019 to just 6,462 acres in 2023.
Alongside this reduction in acreage, the total winegrape production value has also declined, falling 21% from $40.7 million in 2019 to $32.2 million in 2023. These figures highlight ongoing challenges faced by local growers and the broader agricultural economy.
"Those costs that are fluctuating, that are having a big problem, are not affecting us, and it doesn't affect our customer base either, because our customer base are people that are either living in the area, coming to have taste our wine, or, I would say, 40% of our customers are people that are on their way to Yosemite," Marsella said.
Marsella's Family Vineyard is located at 13480 Orange Blossom Rd. in Oakdale.
