I have it on good authority that boxed wine is cool again. No, really.
Recently I decided to test this trend out by bringing boxed wine to a few parties. I got comments like "Hey, that's that trendy new boxed wine." (Snark, snark.) And, "Wow, boxed wine. Hmm. (furrowed brow) And, hey, it's organic." But, what really got the conversation going was the ultra-hip wine stand I popped my little box of wine into. Suddenly the wine was a centerpiece, a focal point for the cocktail-party conversation. Suddenly the wine was, well, sort of cool. Really.
I am not making this up. Just so you know I'm on the up-and-up, here are a selection of Amazon.com reviews of the Pinzon wine stand, written by Amazon Vine members:
Lisa Shea says, Perfect for its Function
I'm a wine writer, so we always have a lot of wine in the house - including wine boxes. Now, before you go turning your nose up at a wine box, these are actually AMAZING devices. With a normal glass bottle of wine, once you open it air gets inside. The wine is being destroyed even if you cork it up and put it in the fridge. With a wine box you don't have that issue at all! You open the spigot on the wine box. The plastic bladder inside the box shrinks as the wine comes out so there is never ANY air touching the wine. The wine is always perfect. (read the full review)
K. Robertson says, Decorative and useful
I bought this stand anticipating that I would get some boxed wine in the near future. Until that time, I have actually been using it for another well-suited purpose -- a plant stand! It is the perfect width and height to accomodate a nice-sized houseplant, and with the plant sitting up a few inches off the table, leaves/vines nicely drape down. The stand is not actually wrought iron like another writer stated (does have that appearance), but is a black metal stand with a powder finish, similar to decorative candle holders and shelves that I've seen. It is definitely sturdy enough to hold a box of wine at a good height, and to raise the spout somewhat off the table to make dispensing easier. The design is simple and understated and right now I just love it on my table with an English Ivy in it.
sec682 says, Cute, but won't fit the boxes I'm used to seeing
This is very cute, and feels very sturdy. There is even an open spot on one side for the spout to go. Pay attention to the dimensions though, this is 5 1/2 inches square. Any time I've seen wine in a box, it's not this dimension - it's large and flat, not cube, so the base would be more of a rectangle. As long as your wine box fits, this is a nice stand to use - you wouldn't need to have the box sitting right on the edge of the counter/table to use the spout. It would probably also make a nice plant stand for a small pot. Overall I think this is a very nice product.
Adam Wood says, A nice stand for smaller boxes
This is a nice looking stand, IMO. I'll have to go looking for boxes that will fit into it. The boxes that I'm use to are rectangular and not square. So, just pay attention to the dimensions before you buy and make sure it will fit the boxes that you use. The quality of the stand is average. The weld marks are obvious, but that's not much of an issue for me. The paint job is where I have issues. The stand is painted black, and part of it chipped off when I simply ran my finger over it. I can touch it up, so no big deal - but it is something that I wanted to mention to potential buyers. My stand sits perfectly level, so it should function very well once I find a box to fit it (I'll update this review if it doesn't).
So, there you have it--what's old is new again. And, if you don't drink wine, this little stand makes a great plant holder.
Readers--got a boxed wine you buy again and again? Add a comment and let me know. My wine box stand is empty right now!
--KitchenMaus
Amazon Vine is a program that allows real Amazon.com customers to review new products. Highly respected Amazon reviewers are sent products and asked to critique them. With reviews on the products' detail pages often before the items are on sale, you can purchase or pre-order with confidence, knowing you have honest, objective opinions from your fellow customers. Amazon does not influence the opinions of Amazon Vine members, nor do we edit or modify their reviews. (Learn more about Amazon Vine)
Kenneth Miles on January 24, 2009 at 12:13 PM
No offense, but I can't remember a time when boxed wine was ever cool.
Kenneth Miles on January 24, 2009 at 12:14 PM
No offense, but I can't remember a time when boxed wine was ever cool.
Seerak on January 24, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Jeebus, the wine biz is still arguing over screw caps. Not so fast!
Dan Duff on January 24, 2009 at 01:57 PM
The Black Box red wines from Australia are decent plonk, pretty much as good as most stuff you get in the 7-8 dollar a bottle range. The boxes hold 3 liters of wine, and at around $20 you are paying the equivalent of $5 a bottle. I rarely want more than a glass or two mid-week, so the box gives me a cheap, fresh glass with no waste.
Brent Michael Krupp on January 24, 2009 at 02:07 PM
The problem is that boxed wine tastes crappy so who cares if it doesn't get any worse thanks to the bag? I'll take wine that starts out good and gets worse over boxed junk any day.
Before anyone says, "but boxed wine is better these days" I'll point out that better =/= actually good.
Kris Tefft on January 24, 2009 at 02:44 PM
Buy again and again? The NV Tefft Cellars Cab-Merlot blend from Washington State. I like the name (no relation) but the wine is even better. But I think the shape of the 4 liter box would be too big for this stand.
Rick on January 24, 2009 at 03:04 PM
If only there was boxed beer.
bclimo on January 24, 2009 at 03:12 PM
http://www.pankratzpottery.com/Beverage_BoxWine.html
is the place to go for the 5 liter bladder accessory.
We refer to box wine as Chateau Boxschild.
Jim C. on January 24, 2009 at 05:22 PM
K. Robertson says "Until that time, I have actually been using it for another well-suited purpose -- a plant stand!"
So why not use an actual plant stand for the wine?
Eutychus on January 24, 2009 at 07:16 PM
"With a normal glass bottle of wine, once you open it air gets inside. The wine is being destroyed even if you cork it up and put it in the fridge."
Ridiculous. That's why wine bottles come in single serving 750 ml bottles.
Beldar on January 25, 2009 at 02:06 AM
I echo Dan Duff's remarks.
I would be more inclined to pay attention to those who disparage box wines if they were specific as to brands/varieties and confirmed that they have actually TRIED them. Those folks also probably still prefer natural corks -- "It's BETTER for the damn thing to mold and rot and crumble and fight against being opened, you see, that all makes the wine 'real'!"
A "decent plonk" is fine with me most of the time. I'm not a wine snob, and while I usually only want a couple of glasses per evening, there are also times over the course of a long evening when I want a little MORE than what's in one 750ml bottle (but not two). The times when my wants exactly coincide with a normal bottle's exact contents are pretty rare, actually.
Besides the freshness advantage, the boxes are vastly more efficient to transport and store, with less packaging waste and effectively no risk of breakage. I will agree that the positioning of the spigot outside the cardboard box is a less satisfying ritual for those who are wedded to such foppery, and box wines give you no excuse to waste money on fancy corkscrew gadgets. But get over it.
I'm a big fan of Australian box wines in particular. The Aussies are anti-snobbery and practical, which is why they're ahead of the U.S. and Europe on the curve here.
I've got a box of Hardy's merlot out now. The Black Box brand is also pretty good in the red varietals I've tried. My favorites are probably the Banrock Station wines, especially their merlots and shiraz, but for some reason they're harder for me to find in Houston. And especially when you factor in the lack of waste, the price per glass makes these a remarkable bargain.
Jamie on January 25, 2009 at 05:06 AM
I like Black Box and Banrock Station... We generally keep a red (usually Shiraz) and a white (these days, usually Pinot Grigio) in the house, and it's fabulous to be able to say to one another, "So, what kind of wine do you want tonight?" and not have to commit to a bottle. We have lots of BYOB restaurants in our area and have defied convention more than once to bring our current box with us. (Because the "current box" might constitute an open container, we keep it in the back of the car, its spigot tucked back into the box. Just to be conscientious, you know?)
We don't apologize to friends for box wine; we only serve it to our best friends, though, because it's not worth the funny looks from acquaintenances. I think the stand would be hilarious. Droll, right?
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