The Wine Tastes Good Too
Boxed wine has seen drastic improvements over the past 10 years, with many upscale brands adding this packaging to their lineup. Take the French, a culture known for top-of-the-line wine that rarely lacks quality. According to Confectionery News, French winemakers saw the potential in 2006 when a survey proved a growing demand. Destinations like Finland and Sweden sell up to 50 percent of their wine in boxes.
That’s why upscale wine brands like Jenny & François Selections, which launched the eco-friendly From the Tank natural boxed wine brand in 2008, are seeing large-scale success. From the Tank’s blends include a red , white and rosé . Their grapes come from a small co-op in France’s southern Rhône. The New York Times described From the Tank’s 2009 Côtes-du-Rhône red as a pleasing wine that’s “fresh and lively.”
Today, even the less flashy, legacy boxed-wine brands are seeing growth. The State of the Wine Industry Report 2019 says that the box wine category grew by 4 percent in 2019, alone, fueled by large distributors like Constellation Brands, The Wine Group, Delicato Family Vineyards, Trinchero Family Estates and E. & J. Gallo Winery.
Of course, while Refinery 29 found many sommeliers are open to the trend of boxed wine, some purists say glass is the way to go. Like all foods and beverages, the best wine is the wine you like, whether it’s a vintage bottle or vino served in an eco-friendly box. Long story short? Boxed is the new bottled, and we’re not mad about it.
Best Pinot Grigio: Bandit Pinot Grigio
Courtesy of Minibar
Region: California | ABV: 14% | Tasting Notes: Lemon peel, Apples, Stone fruit
Founded by vintners Joel Gott, Charles Bieler, and Roger Scommegna, Bandit is committed to making delicious wine while preserving the National Parks system.
Not only does Bandit make a tasty pinot grigio, but their packaging makes it easier to have wine-on-the-go, optimal for camping trips and long mountain hikes. And once you reach the summit, youll be hit with creamy aromas of peach, apple, pear and lemon. This is semi-dry with a citrus finish. Bring along an almond-rich trail mix for an out-of-this-world pairing.
Best For A Barbecue: Bridge Lane Red Blend
Courtesy of Total Wine
Region: Long Island | ABV: 12.9% | Tasting Notes: Red cherries, Plums, Oak
A Bordeaux-focused red blend from New Yorks Long Island, this medium-bodied wine is full of ripe cherries, as well as plum and red apple skins, with a subtle oak spice finish, says Brown. Its smooth and approachable, and it goes fantastically, she adds, with flavorful cuts like marinated hangar steak and chimichurri sauce.
Plus, with its minimalist, hipster packaging, its a great host gift for your next barbecue at a pals.
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Are There Any Drawbacks
Even though BIB wine has a longer shelf life than a bottle, it will go off eventually, so keep in mind that a three-litre box is the equivalent of 20 glasses of wine. People who get bored with the same food and drink night after night should think carefully about committing to the same wine for an entire month.
Its also perhaps a little too easy to keep going back to the box for a refill. Opening a second bottle of wine is a decision mindlessly tapping the box for another splash could easily become habit-forming.
Boxed Wine’s Competitive Advantage
When the typical glass wine bottle is opened, air seeps in and begins oxidizing the wine. This can enable hidden bacteria to grow. Flavors change often for the worse, sometimes for the better as a result. That’s why wine enthusiasts invest in intricate vacuum pumps and sealants to keep their pricy wines safe.
But boxed wines comes with their own built-in vacuums. When you “pour” the wine out of the pressurized bag inside the box, you’re also creating an airtight seal that prevents air from getting inside. That means boxed wine can stay fresh for up to one month, compared to bottled wines, which last for a week at best, once they’re open.
And, vino in a box does more than simply save wine. It’s helping the planet. That same simple packaging that turns off many wine drinkers is actually better for the environment than glass bottles. According to boxed winemakers like Jackson-Triggs, the cardboard and oxygen-proof inner bladder take less energy to produce than glass. Recyclable cardboard and the plastic materials take up to 80 percent less landfill waste than normal bottles.
Price is another pro in the boxed-wine category. While the average bottle of wine costs around $28 for 750 milliliters in the U.S., the average boxed wine costs around $14 for 3 liters, according to the State of the Wine Industry Report 2019.
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Best Ros: Le Vieille Ferme
Courtesy of Amazon
Region: France | ABV: 12.5% | Tasting Notes: Floral, Citrus, Peach
Brown calls this wine produced by the Southern Rhônes famed Perrin family one of the best wine values of the wine world.
A blend of syrah, grenache, and cinsault, its a consistent gem thats 100 percent crushable, she says, with a red-fruit palate and touches of citrus, peach flesh, and white flowers.
It’s a perfect match poolside with friends, for those regular Tuesday nights with leftover Chinese food, or while simply Netflix and chilling, folding laundry. Nadine Brown, wine consultant and former wine director of Charlie Palmer Steak in DC
Best Red Blend: Black Box Red Blend
Courtesy of Drizly.com
Region: California | ABV: 14% | Tasting Notes: Mineral, Blueberries, Red berries
Black Box strikes again with this impressive and delicious blend of their pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon varieties sourced from California, Argentina, and Chile. Mildly sweet with notes of cherry, raspberry, earth and blueberry. Looking for a red that can stand on its own? This velvety smooth blend fits the bill.
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The Best Boxed Wines We’ve Tasted
We skipped a natural white and a couple of moscatos but fell in love with a Beaujolais
Most wine drinkers are accustomed to buying and serving wine from a bottle, but its not the eternal packaging for the eternal beverage. After all, the Greek god of winemaking, Dionysus, wasnt pouring wine for his maenads from glass bottles but from amphorae, earthenware jugs that held about the equivalent of four bottles of wine. It wasnt until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that people began to ship and store wine in bottles as a common practice.
Boxed wine is newer on the scene, and has struggled to make inroads among serious civilian wine drinkers because of its reputation as a vessel for the cheapest sludge youd pour at a college party. But as our team of passionate wine drinkers and evaluators discovered, its poor standing isnt entirely fair. You can get bad wine in a box, but you can certainly get bad wine in a bottle, as well. More importantly, the reverse is also true: You can get some great wines in a box.
Best Overall Boxed Wine: Wineberry Chateau du Chatelard Beaujolais 2018
Price: From $39.99 for 3 litersSize: 3-liter bag-in-boxWhere to buy: Astor Wines & Spirits or Drizly, or check availability
The People Pleaser: Black Box Pinot Noir 2019
Price: From $19.09 for 3 litersWhere to buy: Drizly, FreshDirect, or Total Wine, or check availability
Best White Wine: Black Box Sauvignon Blanc
Boxed Wine Are Drinkersnot Thinkers
This isnt code for saying that boxed wine isnt as good as bottled. Weve tried boxed wines that are better than some bottles and, since its becoming more popular , the quality is going way up.
So, in case you wrote boxed wine off years ago, here are 11 boxed wines that might get you to join the BIB revolution.
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How Long Does Bag
An advantage of bag-in-box wine is that it can last much longer than an open bottle, depending upon how quickly you drink it, of course. So-called BiB wines also tend to be lighter and easier to carry and store.
With many countries under lockdown due to the outbreak of Covid-19, bag-in-box wine could be a good way of stocking up.
In general, it will state somewhere on the box roughly how long the wine can stay fresh.
Some producers say wines can last for up to six weeks after opening. That compares to just a few days for many bottled wines, although fortified styles, like Port, will go for longer.
Once a wine has been opened, oxygen can interact with the wine and impact on the flavour.
This happens more slowly for bag-in-box wines.
However, boxes and pouches are not deemed suitable for ageing fine wines, because the plastic used is permeable and will cause the wine to oxidise over time.
Pros And Cons Of Bottled Wine
You cannot always determine the quality of wine based on its packaging because there is a such a range of quality in both boxed and bottled wine. How do you know which is better? To determine with more accuracy, you should look at the pros and cons of bottled wine.
Pros of Bottled Wine
- Wine can age. Wine in a bottle can be aged, which is necessary for some types of wine. The fact that it can age also means that wine stays good for longer periods of time in an unopened bottle.
- There are a lot of choices. Because bottled wine has been the standard for so long, there are a lot of options available. The vast majority of wineries only produce bottles of their product.
- You can easily mix and match. Not only is there a large selection, but you can have a selection on hand without needing a large party of friends to help you finish it.
- Youre more likely to try something new. Because you get less wine from a bottle, you are more likely to branch out and try something new when making your next purchase.
- You can use a wine cooler. Your average bottle of wine can be stored in a wine refrigerator. These units are not traditionally built to accommodate wine boxes.
Bottled wine is what you think of as fancy. You can let it age, easily stock a variety of choices and enjoy a variety choices at the store. However, there are some negatives to bottled wine.
Cons of Bottled Wine
Bottled wine has its ups and downs, but where does boxed wine stand?
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Does Box Wine Get You Drunk
The average wine has 11.6% alcohol. In other words, you require less than half the same amount of wine to get the same amount of drunk you would get from a comparable amount of beer. As anyone who has ever bought a box of wine can plainly tell you, wine can get out of hand quickly. By the time you pass .
Is Wine In A Box Good
Boxed wine can be just as good as wine that comes out of a bottle, and there are many factors to consider before determining a wines worth based on appearances. Both boxed wine and bottled wine have the potential to be of poor quality or of great quality. Keep that in mind as you are determining a wines worth.
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Best White: Frontera Sauvignon Blanc
courtesy of Marketview Liquors
Region: Chile | ABV: 12.5% | Tasting Notes: Lemon peel, Tropical fruit, Green apple
Bright, young, and fresh, this summery Sav Blanc has its zippy roots in Chiles Central Valley, where the grapes have a mineral exuberance. Its a crisp sip with citrusy, snappy appeal, hints of tropical fruit, and a clean finish that makes it a match for all sorts of light picnic foods. This ones a refreshing bargain.
Known Issues From Earlier Releases
To view a list of previous known issues, click .
The earlier known issues are grouped as follows.
CIM Issues
- NEW: After an upgrade to ESXi670-202004002, you might see a critical warning in the vSphere Client for the fan health of HP Gen10 servers
After an upgrade to ESXi670-202004002, you might see a critical warning in the vSphere Client for the fan health of HP Gen10 servers due to a false positive validation.
Workaround: Follow the steps described in VMware knowledge base article 78989.
Installation, Upgrade, and Migration Issues
- ESXi installation or upgrade fail due to memory corruption on HPE ProLiant – DL380/360 Gen 9 Servers
The issue occurs on HPE ProLiant – DL380/360 Gen 9 Servers that have a Smart Array P440ar storage controller.
Workaround: Set the server BIOS mode to UEFI before you install or upgrade ESXi.
- After an ESXi upgrade to version 6.7 and a subsequent rollback to version 6.5 or earlier, you might experience failures with error messages
You might see failures and error messages when you perform one of the following on your ESXi host after reverting to 6.5 or earlier versions:
- Install patches and VIBs on the host Error message: VIB VMware_locker_tools-light requires esx-version > = 6.6.0
- Install or upgrade VMware Tools on VMs Error message: Unable to install VMware Tools.
Workaround: Perform the following to fix this problem.
SSH to the host and run one of these commands:
esxcli software vib install -v /path/to/tools-light.vib
Workaround: See KB 52932
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Why Don’t More People Drink Bag
- University of Toronto
Perhaps our perceptions are predicated on the packaging.
From an environmental point of view, bag-in-box wine is almost a no-brainer. As we noted in TreeHugger almost a decade ago, it uses far less packaging, takes up far less space, and costs far less to ship with far less of a carbon footprint. It often costs less, and the fancy multi-layered plastic bag shrinks as the wine is poured, so it stays fresh for weeks. Other than refilling your bottles like they do in France, there’s probably nothing greener.
We tried it years ago but were not impressed with the quality of the wine. However, on a recent visit to the liquor store, I noticed the Bota Box containing California cabernet sauvignon and decided to give it a try.
The Bota Box puts its environmental credentials right up front: Our eco packaging locks in a great taste for a month or more by keeping out light and air. The cardboard is made from unbleached certified paper, printed with VOC-free ink, bonded with cornstarch instead of glue, and 100 percent recyclable. The bag and spout are Category 7 recyclables.
Off to the recycling center with lots of wine bottles/ Carol Kleinfeldt/CC BY 2.0
But this past weekend we had guests and not a few bottles of wine around, and everyone avoided the Bota Box when they had a choice. The wine isnt bad it got a good rating in reviews and Wine Enthusiast gave it a best buy rating.
The Truth About Boxed Wine
Three liter boxes hold the equivalent of four 750mL glass bottles. Now, convenient tetra paks are gaining popularity with consumers.
For years, one of the most loathed word combinations in the long history of the grape was boxed wine and for good reason. For decades, poor quality wine, labeled simply as white or red, was relegated to these boxes and sold in supermarkets at bargain basement prices.
But things have changed in recent years.
Boxed wines, once the lowest level of the quality pyramid, are finally getting some respect. And theyre becoming increasingly popular among consumers.
Danny Brager, Nielsen Companys senior vice president of beverage alcohol practice, confirmed their newfound popularity at the 2016 Wine Market Council. While 750-ml glass bottles solidly hold 70 percent of the market, he said, 3-liter boxes and Tetra paks posted the strongest growth. At 3.3 percent of the market share, 3-liter boxes grew 13.7 and 12.3 percent in value and volume, respectively, while Tetra grew 21.9 and 21.8 percent.
Boxed wine originated in Australia in the 1930s, but it wasnt until the 1960s that Penfolds, one of Australias oldest wineries, patented the plastic, air-tight tap attached to a bladder, which closely resembles todays packaging.
In the case of 3-liter boxes, Brager said, the category has increased sales by introducing new buyers, including premium wine buyers, accounting for 44 percent of the growth.
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White Boxed Wine Picks
There are a lot of reasons to love Fielding Long Weekend Wine Co. Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio VQA, starting with the fact that its one of very few made at an independent, family-owned winery that uses 100 percent Ontario grapes. Also, its just plain delicious, with a crisp, clean and juicy tasteeverything we want to drink with our corn chowder and salad.
Everyone whos ever tried a bottle of Robertson Winery Chenin Blanc knows that, dollar per ounce, this South African white is a great buy. If youre lucky enough to live in Quebec, where its sold in a three-litre box, the savings are even more impressive on this dry, balanced, bright, high-acid white thats born to be enjoyed with soft cheese and fatty fish.
Californias Bota Box is a bit of a game-changer, since its widely available across Canada, offers quite a few options, varietal-wise, and, well, weve never tried one we didnt like. Case in point: Bota Box Pinot Grigio, a lively, perfectly dry wine with citrus and stone fruit notes.
