Wine in a Box: Can the Flavor Beat the Low-Class Image?
This weekend I noticed something I haven't seen since college -- wine in a box. And yes, someone brought it up in conversation, but not to declare surprise at this display of bad taste but rather the contrary. People were commenting on how good the wine was. I took my last sip of a red wine from a respectible California winery and took a splash from the tap on the box. They were right, it was better.
Well, it seems The next time someone tells you box wine is gauche, you can tell them you drink it for the superior flavor. According to SciGuy at chron.com, scientists published a paper in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry documenting how when they compared bottled wine and boxed wine, wine in the bottle contained more substances that can contaminate the wine's flavor and odor.
So at your next party, display your boxed wine proudly.
-- Martha Snodgrass
Nina Soltwedel on June 23, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Just as with bottled wine, boxed wine comes under a variety of labels...some are good, some are not. I've had some terrible bottled wine, and some excellent boxed wine. To discriminate against a lovely vintage because it comes in a box is like judging a book by its cover ... take a taste (take a short read), and then make a decision. You might just discover a new favorite.
Boxee on June 23, 2009 at 10:15 AM
Not all box wine will reduce the harsh flavors. The box wine in the picture has a bladder whereas the box wine highlighted in the study does not. The wine has to come into contact with the box in order for the box to absorb the flavors. Box wine with bladders will not absorb the harsh flavors. Interestingly, a lot of the harsh flavors came from ladybugs that were mashed up with the grapes.
rustyb on June 23, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Not that I've had a lot of boxed wine, but I have had some. I buy it for my wife so she can have a sip or two when ever she pleases and not go to the bother of opening a full bottle - which for her may then sit around for too long a time. The ones that I've tried have been fine (all whites), but I think that I can say they all tilt towards to sweet side of acceptable. No harsh criticism there, but I think the marketing department knows who they are going after.
tree hugging sister on June 23, 2009 at 01:05 PM
Bingley has done extensive research on this very subject.
cook on June 23, 2009 at 01:21 PM
@Boxee - How can the wine be in contact with the box? Every kind of boxed wine I have ever drunk or used for cooking had a bladder. I work in a kitchen and every time a liquid like wine comes in contact with the box (box made of cardboard) it soaks into it. Not particularly tasty.
This is also why we remove the bags of chicken from the heavy transport cardboard boxes and place them in plastic bins. Leaky chicken goo is even worse in card board than punctured wine boxes. In fact part of the reason for boxed wine being here is the cheap production of these bladders. It saves on transport costs, packaging costs and the wine lasts longer away from air.
Boxee on June 23, 2009 at 02:07 PM
@cook- There's no bladder in Tetrapak boxes. How could the box in bladder-in-box wine absorb anything if the wine is in an impermeable bladder?
M. Andrews on June 23, 2009 at 02:12 PM
We spent a year in South Africa in the early 1980s, traveling in a small caravan (camper). The country, especially Paarl Valley and the western Cape, is famous for its wines and beautiful vineyards. We bought many boxed varieties during that year, all recommended by locals. We also were advised which wines were considered not very good, so didn't try them. All we did try were excellent, and a decent selection was usually available even in small towns and country stores. We'd never seen boxed wine before, and didn't in the U.S. until several years after our return.
David Gillies on June 23, 2009 at 02:15 PM
Another thing that wine purists get sniffy about is screw tops. If you're not planning on cellaring a bottle of wine, there is absolutely no reason why it needs a cork. I buy a rather nice Errazuriz Chardonnay (Chilean) for about $13 a bottle and it's got a screw top. It's very drinkable.
Don on June 23, 2009 at 04:44 PM
Tried Wal-Mart's box'o'vino. Low alcohol content, no body (i.e. lousy for cheese and crackers) but not bitter or vinegary at all. Terrific for pizza or spaghetti. Box was $10. First glass (paper cup, whatever) was as good as the last.
I'd say it's like like beer of wine. Tastes great, less filling.
Mimi on June 28, 2009 at 03:04 PM
To lump all box wines together with a quality judgement of good or bad is as silly as saying all bottled wines are good or bad.
It all comes down to what's put in the box. Good wine in, good wine out.
I've had some very very nice boxed red wines and some icky ones. Price seems to matter. I pay about $20 for a nice "4 bottle equivalent" boxed Shiraz, Cab or Merlot and am rarely disappointed. My husband doesn't drink much wine, and when he does, he prefers a white, so the box is a really good solution. We all know how quickly a red wine will oxidize if stored more than a day or two in the bottle, so since I only drink a glass or two at most a day, I avoid that with the box. Yes, the bladder is essential to keeping air out, not to mention it's an easy dispense.