Thinking Outside the Box
Don’t judge a wine by its container
July 29, 2008
By Monyka Berrocosa
Photography by Bryan Burris
Don’t judge a wine by its container
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Box wines? Aficionados of fine vintages may shudder. After all, box wines conjure visions of church hall spaghetti dinners and your cheap Aunt Edith’s cocktail parties.
Yes, box wines have an image problem. But the times are changing.
A bevy of “premium” box wines has hit the market in the past year or two. And here’s the thing: They are actually — dare I say — good! Some are even better than similar wine in traditional bottles, especially when you factor in convenience and cost.
You don’t believe me? Well, I don’t blame you. We have been taught to believe a lot of half-truths and falsehoods about wine. Take the case of screw caps. I think it’s safe to say that there are some good wines out there sealed with a screw cap. But not so long ago such a statement would have been considered heresy by wine experts.
Now come the premium box wines, some of them new, improved and even hip — depending on the circle you’re in.
I can hear you protesting. What, you haven’t seen a lot of box wines at your wine shop? And the ones you do see you wouldn’t dream of drinking?
My advice: Don’t judge a book by its cover, or a wine by its bottle or box.
It’s true that the selection of box wines is limited. A lot of retailers aren’t overly keen on the product. Let’s face it, there’s more room for profit when selling three individual 750ml bottles of wine than in selling one cask or box. The more packaging, the more room for markups. Many retailers, if they sell box wines at all, will hide them in obscure or hard-to-reach places. Others flat-out perpetuate the myth that no good wine can come from a box (and that’s why you’ll never find such a heinous object in their establishment.)
But I’m here to tell you that they’re wrong!
Yes, I’ve sipped wine from the box and lived to tell the tale. I’ve even enjoyed it and I suspect you might too.
If your present wine-monger is a “box bully,” you might want to think about switching to a purveyor that stocks a wide variety of products with all consumers in mind. In my opinion, establishments that offer a modicum of choices among the newer, premium, drier wines en box are places worth frequenting — cool and savvy. They also value their customers’ satisfaction.
So what are the benefits of a box wine? Aside from the obvious convenience of not having to worry about breaking glass when you’re transporting it or enjoying it outside during a party, there are three other definite pros:
- Premium, high-quality box wines offer tremendous value, especially for the person looking to consume only one glass of wine per evening.
- The ingenuity of the packaging means that any remaining wine should stay drinkable a lot longer than wine in an uncorked bottle. Box wine should stay fresher longer.
- The wine box’s spout dispenser makes this wine convenient for cooks. When you need a quarter-cup of wine here and a half-cup of wine there, depending on the recipe, you just can’t beat the ease of a push spout.
I guarantee that if you keep a good-quality box of both red and white on hand, your cooking will get more adventurous. Today’s premium box wines are also perfectly acceptable to sip while you cook. As I’ve said time and time again, if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t use it in the food.
On that note, I invite you to seek out the square, covet the cube, bestow some attention on the box … and by all means, report back with your comments.
A couple of box wines worth looking out for:
Box Star from Australia offers an excellent Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as a Chardonnay. About $16 for 3 liters (equal to four 750ml bottles of wine).
Carmenet Vintner’s Collection from California delivers great value with nice variety, offering a Cabernet, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. About $15 for 3 liters.
MONYKA BERROCOSA, a food and wine professional, is the founder of The Women’s Wine & Dine®. For information, visit www.womenandwineevents.com. Monyka also recently launched MyCity4Her, Inc., an online community for women in business. Visit www.baltimore4her.com. Monyka can be reached at grap...@gmail.com.
