Thinking Inside the Box
Get over your traditionalist streak and look inside Box Wines: they’ve grown out of their mega-label mediocre roots, and even small producers are rocking the box.
They hold a lot, so they’re a great value. No air gets in on the pour, so the wine keeps longer – perfect for a daily chin-chin. (And isn’t that why we’re here, after all?) Try a Tetra Pak for an impromptu picnic in the park!
Goes great with: Your pocketbook, your fridge, in Baccarat crystal or a simple tumbler.
Wine in a Box: it occupies a cultural strata in the US somewhere between nudist camps and bowling leagues. It’s the butt of late night monologues, and people scurry past it with a shiver, on their way to a bottle with a cute monkey on the label.
But you know what? Leno’s almost off The Tonight Show, and boxed wine has come a long way, embraced by even tiny producers for its portability, potability, and price.
First of all, it keeps! Boxes with a pour-spout have a bladder, which keeps air out. An open bottle will keep for a few days; a spout box? For as long as you like, and the wine won’t turn into salad dressing.
Secondly, it’s a bargain! It’s cheaper to ship, so it’s cheaper to sip. A box can hold what several bottles can, for a fraction of the cost.
Thirdly, the juice is for real, and the choices keep getting better. It’s a natch for promoting a glass or two a day, which may be why the Europeans are way ahead of us in embracing the box. There’s different sizes (minis for picnics!), and a huge range. Some boxed beauties:
Three Thieves Bandit Pinot Grigio 2006 1 liter (about $9)
Black Box Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (3 liters about $22)
I’m pretty picky when it comes to wine, but after reading this week’s article I bought some wine in a box. I’ll confess, it was for making sangria, but I tried it straight and it was actually very good, much better a lot of the cheap bottles out there, and the box holds more wine than a bottle, so it’s a good deal. (Bandit brand Cabernet by the way)