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In the U.S., wine sold in a box used to be synonymous with cheap, bland junk. But in recent years the benefits boxed wine have started changing that perception. For one thing, the box typically contains three or four bottles’ worth, and also costs less per volume than the bottled stuff. The box also stays fresh far longer after opening, because air doesn’t get to its contents…so you can take your time working your way through your liters and liters of vino. Indeed, several major producers are currently putting good wine in boxes, which are even sold in fancy-pants grocery stores — though in the States, we’re late to the “good wine in a box” party by many years (For the record, my favorite boxed wine is the Bota Box: inexpensive and totally decent.)
Sunday’s New York Times featured an Op-Ed piece from wine blogger Tyler Coleman, in which he makes the case that virtually all wine should be distributed in boxes (he allows as how we might retain bottles for wines that are meant to be stored and consumed after many years). There are serious environmental consequences to shipping those heavy glass bottles, and Coleman does the math to prove it. Here’s a snippet from his article:
More than 90 percent of American wine production occurs on the West Coast, but because the majority of consumers live east of the Mississippi, a large part of carbon-dioxide emissions associated with wine comes from simply trucking it from the vineyard to tables on the East Coast. A standard wine bottle holds 750 milliliters of wine and generates about 5.2 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions when it travels from a vineyard in California to a store in New York. A 3-liter box generates about half the emissions per 750 milliliters. Switching to wine in a box for the 97 percent of wines that are made to be consumed within a year would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about two million tons, or the equivalent of retiring 400,000 cars.
Read the rest for a nice look at why boxes are the new bottles.
speaking of boxed wine, my fiance bought her first box of wine in years, and opened it this weekend. The first glass she had she said tasted absolutely horrible, at least as bad as the wines that came in boxes back when boxed wine was cheap junk. But the following glasses were great, and tasted nothing like the first glass. Is this a common occurrence for boxed wines? Maybe some sediments settled to the bottom and the wine doesn’t get mixed properly stored in a box? or the plastic bag the wine is in added some flavor to the first pour? I believe the brand of wine is Black Box
posted by Clotho on 8-18-2008 at 4:01 pm
But… but… but what about the five different bottle-opening gadgets I own, huh? I have five different ways to open wine bottles and I love them all. I really want to try the feather/sword trick, but I do not have a sword, alas.
Wine in bottles makes me feel civilized. Wine in a box? Not so much.
posted by Rachel on 8-18-2008 at 4:19 pm
I agree with Rachel. Also Wheres the class. I can understand the whole GREEN thing but one of the greatest things about going to a nice restraunt is having the waitor come out and pur a glass of wine from a bottle. It is so elegant looking and feeling.
posted by Nicole on 8-18-2008 at 5:25 pm
I love boxed wine! I drink red wine regularly, at least one glass every evening with dinner. I used to buy my favourite “house” merlot in 1.5 litre bottles, and was a bit sceptical when the winery started selling it in 3 litre boxes. But now I am a convert. Here’s why:
*I no longer have to drag home two heavy glass bottles each week; one box is all, and because it’s lighter and has a handle, it’s easy to carry. Fits perfectly in my bicycle basket, and without clanking around!
*The cardboard exterior and plastic “bladder” are both recyclable, and don’t take up as much room in the blue bin when they’re broken down.
*I don’t have to worry about corkscrews or bottle stoppers. (Sometimes I’d drink enough wine that I’d completely forget to seal the bottle afterwards, which made for a skanky flavour and the occasional floating fruit fly. No more!)
*Awesome for camping! I don’t know about the States, but up here in Canada, some decent wines are sold in tetra paks (i.e., French Rabbit cab sav) Easy to squeeze in a backpack on the way there, no gadgets required to open it, and once empty, it’s feather-light and crushable for packing back out of the wilderness.
* Cheaper! Costs AT LEAST a dollar less to buy the box than the equivalent volume in bottles.
I think that if you don’t like the wine in the bottle, you won’t like the wine in the box, but if you see your favourite wine in this alternate format, give it a shot!
posted by Kikadee on 8-18-2008 at 5:34 pm
I adore wine in a box. And not simply because one of my fondest memories is watching my mother and grandmother get silly drunk on a box of Franzia, the trailer park dweller of box wine.
However, a box of wine is great for drinking just a glass of wine with dinner. Highly satisfying, and I don’t have to worry about it going bad before I can finish the bottle.
posted by Lindsey on 8-18-2008 at 6:20 pm
You may want to note that the harvesting of wine corks is critical to the survival of oak forests in the Mediterranean.
“Check under the foil wrapper before you break open your next bottle of wine. No longer deemed low-class, synthetic and screw-top stoppers are replacing real cork—and threatening an entire ecosystem.”
I wonder how boxed wine (being cork-less) affects these trees?
(Since Mental Floss doesn’t allow links in the comments, you on my name to get the article.)
posted by owl on 8-18-2008 at 6:33 pm
@Lindsey - you mean there are people who… don’t finish the bottle right away? I do not believe I belong to this demographic. :-)
Box wine is good stuff for camping, definitely. But I’m not sure that my wine rack is going to be converted for box wine storage anytime soon.
The greener solution for me would be to buy it by the barrel and install a spigot right next to the water dispenser on the fridge. That would make my life a lot easier! And more fun!
posted by Rachel on 8-18-2008 at 8:51 pm
Higgins,
Check out this boxed wine!
posted by 'Benjamin Linus' on 8-18-2008 at 10:06 pm
@Clotho - I haven’t had that first-glass experience, but it would make sense that there could be sediments in the bag. Hmm.
@owl - the cork issue is really interesting, that’s a good point. This is one of those areas where forest management is actually working and preserving an ecosystem.
posted by Chris Higgins on 8-18-2008 at 11:14 pm
I can’t comment on the “bag-added-flavor”, but it seems that the natural vacuum caused by the bag would be good for preservation. No?
posted by erik on 8-18-2008 at 11:28 pm
Sediments in the bag are doubtful, however, the odds of the wine being bagged in a “hot fill”(wine is heated and filled into the package) application are likely for aseptic and preservation reasons especially in the cheaper brands where high volume fast line speed are a must. This will affect flavor and taste, but if anything keep it consistent(good or bad taste). I dont drink expensive wine in a box or a bottle so I cannot and will not further comment. I can tell you from drinking too many boxes of cheap wine to count the flavor is consistent and I know what I am buying. Either way box wine still has its place in the world…college. Why buy a bottle of wine that will soon become a weapon…buy the box and use the empty bag as a pillow-notice the strength of those bad boys…
…and for those concerned with “green” this ones easy. Regardless of how recycled, the box is more efficient- more wine per truck and lighter and unbreakable(than glass). That means less trucks (diesel) delivering wine.
As far as landfills understand soon we will be sending our trash to another planet and that problem will be solved…
posted by Tom Stoddart on 8-19-2008 at 10:51 am
I disagree, Tom. College is not the only time and place for cheap boxed wine. I know of many people who take advantage of the good cheap drunk you can only get from a cardboard container well into their 30’s and 40’s. I do agree with the health benefits you bring up as broken glass and fightin’ words do not mix like Franzia and mario party do. One other benefit of cheap box wine is the fact that, as long as she doesn’t see the container, you can tell any potential female mate that you brought this special bottle back from Brazil when you were down there saving the baby seals from poachers and terrorists.
Also, you can have a lot of fun inflating the bladder and duct tapping it to a lush’s feet and watch him or her bounce around helplessly until crashing into the glass coffee table. Yes my friends, boxed wine is here to stay.
posted by Boo Boo on 8-19-2008 at 11:43 am
Box wine is fine when the get-together is more the draw than the wine. Like when I make enchiladas for everyone I know and invite them all over to watch the world cup, a big box of Franzia Sangria works great. And for Thanksgiving day when everyone is just swilling wine to get through the day with the family, Faux Frog Pinot Noir works great. If wine quality is a must, most box wines aren’t good enough yet. But when the company and the situation are going to distract from the wine anyway, why not save the expense and environmental waste?
I wish they’d make more nicer wines available in boxes. And more smaller boxes available. I don’t need a 3 or 5 liter box most of the time. I get bored of the same wine every day before my hubby and I can finish a big box. But a 1 or 2 liter box would be awesome.
Also, I think it would be great if someone made a wine in a pretty enough box that it could be classy enough looking to serve at nicer events like weddings. The event is more exciting than the wine, so box quality would be fine, and the spigot system would make it really easy for everyone to serve themselves. Shame that all the boxes are so ugly looking that you couldn’t put them on a nicely decorated table without feeling classless.
posted by Melissa on 8-19-2008 at 2:33 pm