Boxed Wine Isn’t Necessarily Bad Wine
February 16, 2011 at 1:20 am Chad Upton 5 comments
By Chad Upton | Editor
Some people subscribe to the idea that “no wine is bad wine,” and while I agree with the sentiment, I disagree with the statement. Thankfully, bad wine is easy to avoid and award wining wine can be cheap too, especially if it’s in a box.
If you’re not familiar with boxed wine, it consists of a plastic membrane (full of wine) with a spout for dispensing. The “bag” is placed in a cardboard box so it stays vertical for proper dispensing; this also gives it a smaller footprint on the shelf or in the fridge.
This is a near perfect container for wine. Since wine spoils with exposure to air, the self collapsing nature of this package preserves the wine much longer and more conveniently than a glass bottle and a typical air sucking accessory.
Although boxed wine should be popular with those who drink a lot of wine, it’s also ideal for those who don’t because it lasts for weeks after opening.
I admit, there is some romance to a glass bottle, but boxed wine is a practical solution for every day drinking. Every-day-drinking sounds bad, but I hope you know what I mean, frequent drinking. Actually, that sounds worse. Drinking heavily every night. OK, now I’m just having fun with you.
The point is: if you’re shy of boxed wine, you shouldn’t be. There are a number of brands worth considering and although you may not have heard of them, they all appeared on almost every “Best Boxed Wine” list I could find.
They are:
- From the Tank
- Three Thieves
- Black Box
- Bota Box
Decent boxed wine can be had for as little as $12. Some of these wines have ratings of 90+ points from popular wine reviews — an excellent rating, especially considering the price. Because a 3L box is equivalent to 4 bottles of wine, even a $30 box would be a bargain for good wine.
Although Kristen and I don’t drink a lot of wine, we have a tradition: Wine in a Box Wednesday (WIBW)! For us, it’s like a mid-week TGIF. No matter how busy our week is, we always take time to enjoy a glass of wine.
Broken Secrets
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PS – Thanks to Mike and Christina for re-introducing us to boxed wine!
Sources: Slate, NY Times, Epicurious, Oprah? Yes, Oprah. :)
Entry filed under: Food and Drink. Tags: #WIBW, alcohol, bag in a box, bota box, box, box wine, boxed wine, wine.
Broken Secrets 
1.
James | February 16, 2011 at 8:50 am
Nothing wrong with boxed wine.I have bought some myself,and been to a few partys that had boxed wine.
Your right,it does stay “fresher”longer then bottled.And,its a good deal.
2.
Nonpopulist | February 16, 2011 at 8:39 pm
I prefer my wine from a box.
3.
Sean | March 17, 2011 at 11:21 am
Definitely nothing wrong with boxed wine. The Bota Box varieties are pretty good. Didn’t really care for Black Box though. One you didn’t mention that you should try is Fish Eye. Started drinking their pinot grigio after it was recommended by the New York Times and it’s quite tasty.
4.
Viktoria Grace | March 18, 2011 at 8:33 pm
Thanks for the tips on the four boxes you suggested. I’ll be giving them a try. (Assuming I can find them.) Nice blog btw. :)
5.
Sonja D | August 1, 2011 at 10:35 pm
I have tried different boxed wines and find that Bota Box Pinot Grigio, Black Box Pinot Grigio and Fish Eye Pinot Grigio are quite good. I like the Fish Eye brand (because of taste not price) but can’t seem to find it anymore. I agree that boxed wine is good for everyday but for special occasions I prefer bottled.
I would love to see a Sauvignon Blanc in a box.