Box Wine

Box wine isn't going through a revolution, but more so a transformation or image overhaul.

Box Wine's Tarnished Image

When most think of box wine, they think of college-aged students looking for quantity over quality or the type of "mixer" wine you use for Sangria or wine punch. Wine that comes in a box certainly does not conjure up thoughts of formal dinner parties or the type of wine you give as a gift. No, this inexpensive wine is generally associated with the words cheap and tasteless.

Over the past few years, wine producers have decided to overhaul this tarnished image by offering decent, even good wines packaged in a box and calling them "casks." The name change may be pushing it a little though; a box is still just a box.

Reasons to Try a Box

If you still aren't convinced that you should try wine from a box or you just can't face the probable ridicule you expect when your wine snob friends see you break out the box of wine at your next get together, take a look at some of the ways you can argue your point.

• Box wine lasts longer – Higher end box wines are sold in predominately three-liter "casks." The wine is packaged within a vacuum-sealed bag, meaning it will stay fresh much longer than a bottle of wine. In wine snobbery terms, it will not oxidize as quickly as a bottled wine, no matter what type of fancy gadget you use to pull the air out of a half-full bottle before re-corking it.
• Easier to transport – Wine packaged in boxes are perfect for outdoor activities like picnics or barbecues because they travel well and there are no worries about breaking the bottle. Plus, you don't even need to carry a corkscrew.
• It's trendy – Even though premium wine sold in a box is slower to catch on in the United States, wine lovers in Europe and Australia have been enjoying box wine for years. As a matter of fact, 50% of all wines sold in Australia are in boxes.

Knowing What to Expect

Alright, so you won't find a big bottle of 2005 Caymus or the much coveted Opus One in a box -- not now and probably not ever. What you will find is food friendly, easy to drink wines that will go well with any gathering form the formal dinner party to the laid-back beach barbecue. If you still can't convince your wine snob friends that wine from a box is actually consumable, put it in a decanter before they arrive.

The Wine List

If you have decided to give box wine a try but the only wine you can think of in this type of packaging is the well-known Franzia brand, here's a list of premium box wines that you are not likely to find next to the apple wines or jug wines at your local market.

• Black Box Wines – The Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 has an 86 point rating from Wine Enthusiast Magazine and sells for around $20 per 3-liter box.
• Free Range 2005 Red Bordeaux – Offered in 3-liter boxes for around $30, this red Bordeaux was named one of the top 100 Bordeaux wines by the Bordeaux Wine Bureau.
• Tindindi Wines – Buy Australian wine maker Tindini's 3-liter box of Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay for around $20 per "cask."
• Tefft Cellars – This non-vintage wine offered by Washington's Tefft Cellars, comes in 4-liter boxes priced at around $20-25 per box.
• Banrock Station – Try this well-known Australian wine maker's 3-liter box of 2005 Chardonnay.
• Dtour wine – These French wines are sold in a 3-liter "tube" for around $37. Try their 2004 Mậcon Villages Chardonnay. You will not be disappointed.
• Washington Hills - Washington Hills offers 3-liter casks of 2003 Merlot and Chardonnay as well as non-vintage Rainier Red and Rainier White for about $20 per box.
• Carmenet Wines – Give their Vintner's Collection a try. This collection is offered in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay, at around $15 per box.

Put Your Judgments Aside

How the wine is packaged has no bearing on how the wine tastes. Sure, there are plenty of not-so-great tasting box wines, but there are also plenty of not-so-great tasting bottle wines. So, put your judgments aside and give a box of wine a try at your next social gathering. Remember, it is what's inside the box that matters, not how it looks on the outside.

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