WBW #31 - Box Wines & Non-Traditional Packaging
It’s time to think outside the bottle!
Wine Blogging Wednesday #31 should be a relatively easy assignment to fulfill, but can be challenging if you decide to look for something offbeat. The theme is “box wines & non-traditional packaging”. We started off with just “box wines”, but thought we’d expand the category to include other possibilities, like Tetra Paks, Tetra Boxes, synthetic goat skins… if it isn’t a standard bottle, it’s fair game for March’s WBW. (Kudos to Lenn at lenndeavours for creating and managing the WBW concept!)
In the U.S., box wines have been slow to catch on, and continue to bear the stigma of being cheap and awful, or at least not particularly good. In other countries, though, innovative packages have fared much better. Reportedly, more than half the wine sold in Australia is in boxed form.
Boxed wine has some major advantages, the biggest being the ability to preserve wine for a month after opening. That ability comes from what’s inside the box - typically, there is a bladder-like mylar or plastic bag that deflates as you pour the wine, never allowing any air to contact the contents. This is a huge boon for “glass a day” wine drinkers, or other situations where the remnants of a bottle might spoil before the bottle is finished. No vacuum pumps or expensive argon cartridges are needed - just pour the amount you want from the box, and there’s nothing to worry about.
Tetra Paks (think Juicy Juice) and Tetra Boxes (think cardboard bottle) are also getting more visible. They don’t offer the preservation capabilities of the “bag in box” packages, but they are smaller and are intended for quick consumption.
If you don’t regularly indulge in boxed wine, here are a few suggestions… First, if it comes in a 5-liter box (e.g., Franzia, Vella, etc.) I suggest you not take a chance on it. I’m sure there are some that are OK, but I’ve yet to taste one that measured up to inexpensive but decent bottles, or that I could tolerate for the equivalent of almost 7 bottles. If you know you like one of these 5-liter monsters, by all means share your find with the rest of us. Otherwise, I suggest you look for the popular 3-liter size, which is where you will commonly find better quality wine. (You may also encounter 1.5 liter boxes.) Many of the brands may be familiar to you from your bottle wine experience, and you’ll no doubt find the boxed product comparable to the bottle variety.
If you find something quite different, though, you can always be adventurous and take a chance on it. Fortunately, most boxes are quite reasonably priced - the only downside is what to do with the 2.5 liters you have left if you don’t care much for the wine. (Cooking? Wine punch? Impromptu office party?) I’ve got notes on quite a few brands here: Box Wines. These comments are based on my own peculiar preferences, of course, but perhaps they can be a starting point.
You may have to shop around for the best selection of boxed or other non-traditionally packaged wine. In our local market, the biggest selection by far is at a supermarket with an extensive wine selection. Oddly, some of the specialty shops that carry quite good bottled wine carry only the worst boxed plonk.
The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, March 14, 2007. Please email me at boxwineguy -at- boxwines dot org with your name, blog name, the wine you tried, and a link to the post. If you are blogless at the moment, get me the same info along with your notes and we’ll include them in the summary.
We hope you enjoy this WBW, and we’re looking forward to finding some new favorites! In the meantime, feel free to post your comments on your experiences with non-traditional packages, your box wine shopping experiences, or anything else!
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February 12th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
[...] Roger at the Box Wines blog has announced the theme for WBW 31 as Box Wines & Non-Traditional Packaging. Post your review of a box wine, Tetra Pak, etc. by March 14, 2007. Just make sure glass in not involved in the packaging [...]
February 12th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
Great theme, Roger. Now I’ve got to choose between some 3 Thieves or something a bit off-beat… plenty of time to figure that one out.
February 13th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
[...] Roger of the Box Wines blog just announced the theme for the next Wine Blogging Wednesday and it’s “box wines and wines in non-traditional packaging”. At first I was thinking “Oh my God, you have got to be kidding. Who wants to taste that!”, but I’m now coming around. It certainly provides a challenge. It’s relevant to [...]
February 13th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
[...] Roger of the Box Wines blog just announced the theme for the next Wine Blogging Wednesday and it’s “box wines and wines in non-traditional packaging”. At first I was thinking “Oh my God, you have got to be kidding. Who wants to taste that!”, but I’m coming around. It certainly provides a challenge. It’s relevant to a large portion of the wine drinking population, who spend less than $5 on a bottle of wine. This proportion of wine sales is particularly relevant here in France where wine has historically been considered an everyday commodity rather than a luxury item. For example Frederic’s cousin sells wine to end-consumers in “cubies”, which would satisfy Roger’s packaging criteria. I could pick up one of these cubies for WBW #31 except that they contain 30L(!) of wine. For this WBW event I think I am at an advantage. Wine is sold in many different forms in France. I think I’m going to have fun doing my research. These WBW event sure expand my wine drinking horizons. [...]
February 13th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
[...] Even before I could fix all the typos in my summary of WBW 30, Roger from the Box Wines blog announced the next theme for our monthly virtual tasting: Box Wines & Non-Traditional Packaging. While it might be fun to track down a crock of Lancer’s or Black Tower (do they still make that stuff?), I think I’ll stick with the box (or “cask”, if you prefer) this time out. With my cellar out of commission for the moment, a box in the cupboard might be just what I need right now. [...]
February 13th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
I have a feeling I’m going to be jealous after getting reports on boxed wines that sound wonderful but aren’t available in our local market!
February 13th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Actually, boxed wine mixed with olive oil makes a great steak marinade.
February 15th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Roger:
My name is Andy Woehl and I have been a winery and brewery process engineer for over ten years, and have just launched MAS Wine Company, specialising in an exciting new European Mini-Tank Packaging for wine. I love all of the new alternative ideas coming onto the market for wine, as a lot of money and resources go into the “Wine Trash” or traditional glass bottle and cork for wines under $10/ bottle (75% of all wine sales). I look forward to hearing what your bloggers are saying.
February 15th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
[...] Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW) #31 has been announced, and it’s hot on the heels of WBW #30. These WBW events seem to be picking up speed somehow. Anyway, WBW #31 focuses on wines marketed and sold within non-traditional packaging. In other words, no bottled wines allowed for this particular WBW challenge. [...]
February 18th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
[...] And the March 2007 Wine Blogging Wednesday is the perfect excuse to partake in the hunt. We don’t get much over here in Northern Indiana, so I may need to take a road trip next weekend to Sam’s in Chicago. It will be interesting to see what I can find. [...]
February 18th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
This is a pretty simple theme, but that’s its appeal. Find a wine in a box and try it–and it’s a darn good excuse to visit plenty of wine shops since too many in my part of the woods don’t carry anything beyond Franzia that would fit in with this theme.
Count me in!
February 19th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Interesting theme, Roger. I have a local winemaker friend that is obsessed with alternate packaging. You can bet that on The Corkdork , I’ll be writing about one of his wines in something unique. - CD
February 22nd, 2007 at 8:20 am
[...] The date of March 14th has been set for the next edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, the blogosphere’s monthly virtual wine tasting party. The 31st incarnation of the event is being hosted by Roger over at Box Wines, and you’ll be hard pressed to guess what theme he has chosen for the March tasting. [...]
February 23rd, 2007 at 8:56 pm
interesting, I’ll have to see if I can overcome my skepticism and give this a try. I now understand wines w/o a cork can be good; now from a box too?
February 23rd, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Absolutely, cookingchat… and of course, what’s better for cooking than having a box ready to pour in the kitchen? That really encourages adding wine to your food without the hurdle of having to crack open a whole bottle.
February 25th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
Wine in a box conjours up a lot of skepticism in wine circles. However, some are not that bad for everyday quaffing. There is a new brand called Three Thieves who are marketing Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Grigio in box format.
I consider myself very well versed on wines with a outstanding and respected pallate. These wines are in a different class altogether. They are very simple and convenient to use. Not bad for the price. The wines are on the par of two buck chuck from Trader Joe’s. They won’t break your pocket book.
I subscribe to Cook’s Illustrated magazine. I recently read a test that they performed on box wines when used for cooking. The conclusion was that there wasn’t any difference with using boxed wines for cooking purposes.
March 4th, 2007 at 11:07 am
[...] 2. Pick a “bottle” for Wine Blogging Wednesday #31 over at Box Wines. The theme? Box wines and other non-traditional packaging. I’ve already got one in mind that comes in a can but would like an actual box as well, to remind me of back in the day. [...]
March 5th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Roger,
We’re doing a mini wine competition of about 16 different boxers: “citizen wines” at Citizen Space in downtown SF. You’re invited, but you may live in Dallas for all I know. Maybe others in the Bay Area would like to stop in….
I tried emailing you but it bounced back.
Anyway, here’s the write up with link for reserving a space: http://wine.meetup.com/321/calendar/5492748/
T.O.M.
March 5th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Thanks for the info, T.O.M., I’ll check the email issue. Sorry, we’re in the midwest, and can’t quite justify a trip to SF for your gathering - sounds like a gret event, though, and we look forward to the reports on your tasting!
March 11th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
[...] This just in, Wine Blogging Wedenesday #31 has been announced! We’d like you to help us out and play along this month. The theme for WBW#31 is ‘Box Wines & Non-Traditional Packaging’ (thanks to Roger, The-Boxed-Wine-Guy for hosting!). What does this mean? Basically any wine that is packaged in anything other than a standard bottle. (We won’t be allowing Stelvin or other screw tops, that’s too easy!) Simply visit your local wine shop, and seek out some wines that come in alternative packaging. Taste the wine and either drop us an email, or better yet, leave us a short voice mail at 408-627-7796 as to what wine you sampled, the price, the type of packaging and your impression. For participating, we will randomly select someone and send them a prize of some sort. We have two different wines that we will try out, but one pretty unique package that I think we will wind up using. Want to know what it is? Well for that, you’ll have to come back and listen to our podcast on Wednesday. (Better yet, subscribe and you won’t have to remember to visit our website, our report will be delivered directly to you on Wednesday evening. [...]
March 14th, 2007 at 4:44 am
[...] For the WBW the theme was non-traditional packaging, defined as anything besides a bottle. I decided to search out some wine “en vrac” (in bulk). Ironically this might be considered traditional packaging in France. It’s that time again. Today is Wine Blogging Wednesday #31. The theme for this month’s tasting is boxed wine and beyond - wine in non-traditional (i.e. not glass) packaging. Thanks to Roger at Box Wines for proposing the theme and rounding up all the tasting notes. For my tasting I decided to explore the world of wine “en vrac” (in bulk) here in France. You can easily find bag-in-box wines, wines in plastic bottles, wine in tetrapak’s, etc here and in the U.S. However, albeit common in Europe, I don’t think that you can buy wine in bulk anywhere in North America. (correct me if I’m wrong) [...]
March 14th, 2007 at 11:46 am
[...] Wine Blogging Wednesday #31 March 14th, 2007 by Farley This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday theme is a little off the beaten path: non-traditional packaging. Initially skeptical, I became excited about the possibility. If the wine were actually good, I would suddenly have wine with an extended shelf life and could therefore avoid pouring so much out. [...]
March 14th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
[...] See also Wine Blogging Wednesday #31 - Box Wines and Non-Traditional packaging: http://www.boxwines.org/articles/wbw-31-box-wines…. [...]
March 14th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
[...] I have to confess that this was the most challenging Wine Blogging Wednesday theme for me. When Roger from Box Wines announced his choice of Box Wines & Non-Traditional Packaging I thought this might be pretty easy. My plan was to go up to Solo Vino in St. Paul and ask for their best box wine. I know they have a few well chosen box wines not available at other area retailers. In the past six weeks, however, I have not had a need to go into St. Paul and it seemed a bit obsessive to make the 50 mile round trip just for a box of wine. So I ended up at one of those soulless wine warehouse stores out here in the ‘burbs over lunchtime today and selected the wine I will now present. [...]
March 14th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
[...] This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted by Box Wines, was non-traditional wine packaging. Rather than stick with boxed wines, we came across a curious little number that came conveniently packaged in four 187.5mL bottles in a little cardboard carton. Perfect for a picnic or barbecue at a friends house. [...]
March 15th, 2007 at 8:08 am
[...] So it was only a matter of time that Wine Blogging Wednesday, the monthly online virtual wine tasting event got around to sampling wines that eschewed the trendy glass enclosure for the higher tech world of the box. This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday suggested we all go out and taste wines with alternative packaging, which is how I ended up with a French Rabbit in my shopping cart earlier in the week. [...]
March 15th, 2007 at 9:15 am
[...] We wanted to participate this months in WBW. We love this event. Though sometimes it is not possible. This month’s theme of untradtional packaging was also one that we REALLY wanted in on. We hoped to travel to a nearby vineyard where you can buy wine straight from the barrel, poured into what ever container you bring with you. I’ve done this once or twice and while at times the wine is only so-so, the experience is great and the wine usually pairs incredibly well with the local fare. Sadly though, this was not to be, though we’ll try to write about this part of Spanish life in a later article. [...]
March 15th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
[...] Drink inside the box According to this story, the French are discovering bag-in-a-box wine. Now we can too with the next edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, scheduled for March 14. [Box Wine Blog] [...]
March 23rd, 2007 at 3:04 pm
[...] Drink inside the box According to this story, the French are discovering bag-in-a-box wine. Now we can too with the next edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, scheduled for March 14. [Box Wine Blog] [...]
April 9th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
For those of you living in Washington State, I stumbled across a great new wine in this untraditional packaging that we are talking about here called REVELRY. It is packaged in a cylindrical tube with an angle cut top that is most attractive. Oh, and the wine is fantastic. I highly recommend it. I don’t know the extent of where it is available, but it seems to be in most stores around Seattle.
Cheers!
April 9th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Thanks for the suggestion, Jay - this looks like what you are talking about: http://www.revelryvintners.com/ . Interesting packaging, and I’m glad to hear the contents are OK, too!
June 23rd, 2007 at 1:02 am
English Estate Winery in Vancouver, Washington, has been putting premium Washington Pinot Noir wine in bags since 2003. They have developed their own BIBB…Bag In a Beautiful Box…boxes, filling machine, etc. which they are supplying to other small wineries and winemakers in the USA. English Estate sells their wine primarily direct from their website, and they have a bag in box wine club that has reduced prices. They ship free nationwide and are currently launching a New York chapter of their popular BIBB Wine Club.
July 14th, 2007 at 12:06 am
i also prefer box wines which one is sealed. because some bottle without boxes are not original its also fake and they put label of some branded wines.
August 24th, 2007 at 3:13 am
intersting blogs. i was searching around google for some new and intersting wine blog and accidently i found this one , i also prefer the box wines which one is sealed coz there can be a lil bit chance of fake label and etc .