> We tried the notorious two-buck chuck and thought it was absolutely horrible
Then you should try it again! Not only are there many varietals, but they change far more year over year than your traditional wine would as it's basically a blend of whatever was available as overage from many different California wineries. Some years there is a bit of a hidden gem worth spending a few bucks to find.
In my (somewhat dated) experience, grabbing a bottle of Charles Shaw of arbitrary year and varietal was about like grabbing an arbitrary ~$10-$15 bottle of wine. There's some good stuff and some stuff not worth drinking. Not much that's amazing, but surprising for the price point.
Then you should try it again! Not only are there many varietals, but they change far more year over year than your traditional wine would as it's basically a blend of whatever was available as overage from many different California wineries. Some years there is a bit of a hidden gem worth spending a few bucks to find.