Box wine is wine that is packaged in boxes for sale. The first box wine packaging method is where airtight aluminum polyethylene bags are filled with wine and placed inside a box with its own plastic tap. Recently, companies like Bandit have been boxing wine without the polyethylene bag. Packaging wine in this way can be beneficial. Box wine packaging can potentially be more economical - it allows the vinter to spend a little more on the actual wine. Box wine may be less expensive than bottled wine. Although the shelf life of box wine is much shorter than wine in a bottle, the tap on the box wine allows it to keep after opening for up to six weeks, in the refrigerator. Wine that is boxed in the polyethylene bags should be poured into a decanter and allowed to breathe for a few hours before drinking.
Note Box wine is not meant to be stored or aged like typical bottled wines. Instead, it is meant to be consumed in accordance with the date printed on the packaging.
In November of 2009, Natalie Maclean, author of the award winning wine site Nat Decants, said box wine has come a long way and is "a great way to go with a large party." http://www.nataliemaclean.com/book/interviews.asp?zoom_highlight=box
Box Wine - Steve's Ten Dollar Wine Challenge
Steve says there has been a box wine revolution. Now there is actually good wine that comes in a box. The advantage of box wine is the box can actually be closed effectively with the tap so that once opened, the wine in the box stays preserved for a few weeks, in the refrigerator. Word to the wise from Steve, though, is that since box wine does not breathe, you need to decant as much as you are going to drink for the night into a pitcher, and let it breathe before you start to drink it. Steve says King Fish is the best box wine he has tried. He paid $13.99, just over ten dollars, for four liters.
Box Wine Reviews
Gary Vaynerchuk of WineLibrary.com reviewed 4 kinds of box wine on one of his videos. His comments are summarized below:
Fake and Sugary - Bota Box California Chardonnay 2006 $12 for 3 bottles worthhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHRukCIjbNU
Recommended! - Bandit Pino Griggio tetrapack, 1 and 1/3 bottles worth for $6.99http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHRukCIjbNU
Smells like the packaging, bitter tannens - Cuvee de Pena 2004 Product of France 4 bottles worth $19 (to be fair, this has been in the packaging too long)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHRukCIjbNU
Fake and Sugary Like Yellow Tail - Australian Thirsty Lizard prismapack 2005 Shiraz $7 for 1 and 1/3 bottles worthhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHRukCIjbNU
References
Fast Facts
-
Fact:
Also known as cask wine
-
Fact:
Should not be aged
-
Fact:
Keeps for up to six weeks after opening
-
Fact:
Common sizes of box wine are 1.5, 3, 4 and 5 liters
-
Fact:
A 3-liter box of wine is 38% lighter than 4 glass bottles
-
Fact:
Packaging is fully recyclable
-
Fact:
Invented by Tom Angove in 1965
-
Fact:
Cheap cask wine is known as "goon" in Australia
