In a small-scale blind test comparing 3-liter boxed wine to the same wine in conventional corked bottles, the box wine was slightly preferred.
In a blind tasting of Underdog Wine Merchants’ Killer Juice Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon in both 3L premium cask and 750ML packaging, experts indicated a preference for the cask over the bottle by a margin of 2 to 1. Results for Kunde Estate Winery & Vineyards 2005 Estate Series Chardonnay finished in both screwcap and natural cork showed a slight preference for screwcap. Beyond taste, the experts cited excitement with the convenience factor so important to today’s consumers.
The blind tastings were held as The Alliance for Innovative Wine Packaging (AIWP) presented the “Market Building, Innovative Wine Packaging” panel at the Society of Wine Educators: Wine, Wit and Wisdom Conference in Eugene, Oregon.
We tried the Killer Juice cabernet a couple of months ago and found it to be quite good, but we would have liked to see a broader sampling of wines to get a more valid comparison. Still, it’s one more validation that wine drinkers need not sacrifice flavor or quality to enjoy the convenience of box packaging.
We actually pulled out our cheap fav – Corbett Canyon Chardonnay and did a taste test – box versus bottle. The boxed WINE was NOTICEABLY better.
From the box – fresher tasting, almost a touch creamy. The bottled wine had a hint of vinegar (comparably). We’ve tried both a few times now and the boxed wine is always better.