Box Wines
A wine blog with news and reviews of affordable wines

Price: $12
Maker: Eos Estate Winery (Sapphire Brands), Paso Robles, California
Varietal: Red Blend - 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Petite Sirah, 18% Sangiovese
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, artificial cork
Alcohol: 13.5%
Our Rating: 8.9 out of 10

Lost Angel Mischief Red Wine 2006 was a real surprise. A red blend with a funky name costing a little over ten bucks didn’t create much in the way of anticipation. The first surprise was a slightly floral note in the nose, in addition to the expected berry and spice notes. The second surprise was the overall enjoyability of this wine. On the palate, this is a juicy and robust red. Raspberry and cherry predominate, but there is nice structure and complexity. The finish is dry and long-lasting, with a spicy, earthy finish.

Lost Angel Mischief is a product of Eos Estate Wines, a winery that produces significantly more costly wines. The Lost Angel series is the lowest cost line, but it clearly benefits from its pricier siblings. Eos Estate’s winemaker is Nathan Carlson, who notes, “Eos has taken a bold step to become the first large winery in Paso Robles to commit to using only solar power. This fits nicely with my personal commitment to sustainability issues in agriculture, which is an important reason why I am involved in the wine industry.”

In short, Lost Angel Mischief is a tasty red blend that offers more flavor and sophistication than one might expect at first glance. It’s a great choice if you don’t mind a fun, non-snobby label and prefer a fruitier but still interesting New World red.

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Price: $7
Maker: Jose Maria da Fonseca Vinhos, Azeita-Setubal, Portugal
Varietal: Vinho Verde - White
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, screw cap
Alcohol: 10.0%
Our Rating: 8.1 out of 10

Despite its name, which translates as “green wine,” Twin Vines JM Fonseca Vinho Verde 2008 is a very pale straw color. The “green” refers to its youthful nature rather than its color, and the wine does indeed come across as young. In the glass, it appears to be slightly sparkling, although one barely notices the minimal bubbly character when drinking. It has a green apple flavor, and a slight sweetness is offset by pleasing acidity. There’s not a lot too this wine, but on a hot day by the pool its light character and low alcohol content might make it a perfect choice. The label suggests serving the wine well chilled, and I agree entirely with that advice.

This Vinho Verde is a product of José Maria da Fonseca, a Portuguese winery owned by the same family for nearly 200 years. The firm is best known in the U.S. for its iconic, if not always well-loved, Lancers brand Rosé. Wines desginated as Vinho Verde all come from the north of Portugal and are made from diverse grapes found in the region.

My timing for tasting this wine was nearly perfect - the culmination of a series of 100-degree days in Texas. That’s the ideal setting for a light, gulpable white with a hint of bubbliness and an acidic bite.

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Very inexpensive wines could be taxed out of existence in the UK, if proposed changes to alcohol taxation are implemented. Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson wants to cut down on binge drinking in the UK, which he feels has reached epidemic proportions.

His report said the new pricing strategy would set a minimum price of 4.50 pounds ($6.30) for a bottle of wine; a minimum of 14 pounds ($19.70) for a bottle of whiskey, and a base price of 6 pounds ($8.50) for a six-pack of beer. From Cheap booze blamed for British binge drinking

While no doubt there is some price elasticity for alcohol consumption, to me it seems unlikely that a nation’s drinking habits would be changed dramatically even by these Draconian changes. Instead, I’d expect other spending areas to be curtailed and the politicians who supported this concept to be voted from office at the electorate’s earliest opportunity.

In the US, $3 wines are common, if not extremely good, and sometimes prices can be in the $2 - $2.50 range for brands like Charles Shaw and Oak Leaf. As in the US, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are rarely the alcohol of choice for binge drinkers, but wine lovers will pay the price.

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I write from Indiana, which has laws which severely restrict direct shipping of wine. How do these laws get passed? It’s simple - distributors of alcoholic beverages have a vested interest in being the only way for wineries to get to consumers, and they contribute heavily to the politicians that pass such laws. Now, our neighbors in Illinois are picking up the gauntlet and organizing to pressure politicians to act in the interest of the consumer. They have formed the Illinois Wine Consumer Coalition (IWCC). From their press release:

Illinois wine consumers were stripped of their right to purchase wine from out-of-state wine retailers in 2008. The passage of HB 429 removed this right after Illinoisans had enjoyed full access to the American wine market for 15 years. The fact that consumers were never taken into account during deliberations over HB 429 helped give impetus to the creation of the IWCC…

“The recent restrictions on consumer access to wine in Illinois that resulted from HB 429 were clearly nothing more than payoff to the well-heeled Illinois alcohol distributors, the only group that benefits from restricting access to wine,” said XXXX. “In the past five years Illinois alcohol distributors have given more than $3.5 million dollars in political contributions in the past five years to help grease the wheel’s of anti-consumer wine legislation.”

I’m excited to see consumers organizing in this way, and I hope they can make some headway against the special interests that craft these bad laws. All too often, one hears the logic that, “minors will buy wine illegally if wineries can direct ship to consumers.” Do we really think teens will order up a $30 Pinot Noir so they can get high?

Visit the IWCC website and offer your support!

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Need to take a bottle of wine to a party and want to stand out from the rest of the bottles the host gets? Well, you could show up with a nicely aged bottle of Opus One, which should only set you back a few hundred bucks… or, you could grab a bottle something way more pedestrian and slap a $3.95 Cerebral Itch wine label on the bottle.

These labels will cover most original labels entirely, and their humorous designs will demonstrate that you are a guest with a wit. An added bonus is that the labels have a space to write who the bottle is from. As an occasional party-giver, I often find a bottle brought by a guest that was delivered with no card or got separated from its wine-bag. The Cerebral Itch wine labels will ensure that you get full credit for your hostess gift. Of course, if you used the label to cover up a bottle of Two Buck Chuck, letting the hosts know who brought it may not be at the top of your priority list.

Cerebral Itch offers dozens of designs to celebrate occasions ranging from birthdays to divorces. The labels can be removed without damaging the original label.

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Price: $19
Maker: Killer Juice Vineyards, Ripon, California
Varietal: Merlot
Packaging: 3-liter box, twist spigot
Alcohol: 13.5%
Our Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Killer Juice Central Coast Merlot 2006 is another in one of my favorite series of box wines, the Killer Juice/Angel Juice lineup. This medium-bodied Merlot has a juicy flavor, mostly blackberries, with some vanilla and plum. Its finish is long, with black pepper and robust tannins.

Killer Juice now has a website, though at time of posting it consists of only a splash page.

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Price: $50
Maker: Franciscan Oakville Estate, Rutherford, California
Varietal: Red Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, natural cork
Alcohol: 14.1 %
Our Rating: 8.9 out of 10

We opened our bottle of Franciscan Oakville Estate Magnificat 2003 as a Christmas dinner treat to accompany a standing rib roast. This is a more costly wine than we usually comment on here, and we looked forward to experiencing a big red - this is a Meritage blend, ostensibly the best of the best, and it weighs in at a hefty 14.1% alcohol level, higher than a typical cab. While I wasn’t able to track down the blending proportions for the 2003 Magnificat, the 2005 vintage was almost three-quarters Cabernet Sauvignon with almost all of the rest Merlot; the Malbec and Petit Verdot were only a percent or two each.

This Meritage blend has a deep ruby color, and offers a bright and explosive berry aroma. On the palate, plum and black cherry notes combine with chocolate. There wasn’t a lot of pepper or spice in the finish, but the finish was long with plenty of chewy tannins. Although I uncorked the wine well in advance of the first pour, it wasn’t until the bottle was partially consumed and the wine had still more air that it really came into its own. I’d suggest ample breathing opportunity, or even decanting.

Around the Web, Grape Thoughts found the 2001 Franciscan Magnificat to be “magnificent.”

Overall, this wine didn’t disappoint - it offered good structure and complexity, and certainly held its own with flavorful prime rib. Would I run out and buy more at $50? Hard to say. Despite the fact that expensive wine tastes better, for my palate, at least, the Franciscan Magnificat 2003 wasn’t that much better than some wines costing half as much or less. (On the other hand, perhaps I need to spend more time drinking wines in this price range and higher to expand my appreciation for their presumed subtleties.) In any case, if the price isn’t off-putting, you’ll find this wine to be a solid choice.

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I’m catching up with Lost - Season 4 and DVD, and was surprised to find a wine box make a guest appearance. The Sawyer character (James Ford) pours a glass from what looks like a 5-liter box of Dharma Initiative Red Wine.

It’s a bit anachronistic - while all of the Dharma project imagery dates from some 1960-ish time period, the wine shown is a modern box with an even more contemporary push-button spigot. Still, it’s kind of fun to see box wines portrayed in a semi-positive way (the only wine available!) on a popular TV show. No details, though, on whether the generic-looking red wine is a merlot, a cabernet sauvignon, a so-called “hearty burgundy,” or perhaps a Dharma meritage…

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Who knew The Onion was into red wine?

Health experts have long known that drinking red wine can have such positive benefits as reducing blood vessel damage, lowering the risk of heart attack, and preventing harmful LDL cholesterol from forming. But researchers at the Northwestern University Department of Preventive Medicine have recently found that the consumption of four to six glasses of red wine, most notably at dinner or a family function, may be linked to totally going off on one’s mom.

According to a study published Monday in The American Journal Of Medicine, a previously unknown ingredient in red wine has been shown to cause a marked improvement of vocal clarity and emotional acuity—while reducing overall inhibition—after only four glasses.

Read how red wine may, or may not, improve relations at your holiday get-togethers: Study Finds Link Between Red Wine, Letting Mother Know What You Really Think.

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Price: $10
Maker: Lindemans Wines, Australia
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, screw cap
Alcohol: 13.5%
Our Rating: 8.2 out of 10

I’ve enjoyed other Lindemans wines, and I looked forward to the Lindemans Reserve Coonawara Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 with considerable anticipation, even though I had found the bottle on the clearance shelf for a fraction of its normal price. After a few sips, though, I found out why it might have ended up in the sale bin. The aroma was fruity, with slightly musty berry notes. The flavor, though, was all oak and sharp-elbowed tannins. Things improved slightly after letting the wine sit overnight - some spice emerged in the nose, and the flavor finally showed some blackberry fruit.

I find it hard to recommend this wine, even though it’s inexpensive for any wine flagged as a “reserve.” For my taste, at least, one of Lindemans’ lesser wines, like their Bin 45 Cabernet Sauvignon, might actually be a better choice.

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