Boxed wines enjoy comeback
Greener options make perfect picnic partners
If you didn't think you'd see 1980s-era wine-in-a-box become hip again in your lifetime, you might be quite surprised by the popularity of the alternative packaging movement. That's right -- boxed wine is back and coming on full force.
Its latest incarnation isn't the expected jug wine white Zinfandel, either; instead it's high-quality fine wine that you'd be proud to pour to friends. Or better yet, show it off when you pull it out of your backpack at the next picnic in the park.
The typical format is a three-, four- or five-liter "bag in a box," similar to what we've seen in the past. One of the newer developments is the one-liter "Tetra Pak." Think of this as a kid's juice box, but for adults.
While it lacks the romantic allure of uncorking (or more often these days, unscrewing) a bottle, boxed wine is being applauded for several reasons:
1. It's green. Lighter and less bulky than bottles, boxed wine often can be shipped more efficiently, thereby cutting down on the carbon footprint of your wine. The carbon footprint of a one-liter Tetra Pak is said to be less than 50 percent that of a typical glass bottle.
2. It's easier to transport. No corkscrews or foil cutters are needed, plus there's no fear of breaking a bottle while you cart it around town.
3. Less waste. The "bag in a box" package can typically stay fresh for four weeks because the internal bag collapses as it's consumed and doesn't allow air to negatively affect the wine.
This is helpful if you're like many people who end up drinking one or two glasses out of a bottle over dinner, then have to toss the rest out when it goes bad two days later, literally throwing money down the drain. You can feel good about your savvy purchase and (thankfully!) not cut wine out of your budget.
Here are a few boxed wines to get you started:
2006 Vrac ($25). This three-liter bag-in-box wine is a juicy, party-pleasing Cotes du Rhone blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Keep it in mind for your next backyard barbecue.
2006 FOUR ($39). The eco-friendly three-liter Cabernet Sauvignon wine-in-a-tube from California reduces a wine's carbon footprint by 50 percent (versus a typical glass bottle) and helps reduce waste by staying fresh for 30 days after opening.
This is firm wine with dark plum and dark toffee flavors that easily tastes more expensive that its $12-a-bottle equivalent price.
2008 Yellow+Blue Torrontes ($12). An organic option of lively, fresh Torrontes, an Argentinean wine gaining steam in the United States.
Anu Karwa is the author of the SwirlSavvy wine blog and a contributor to Culinate.com, where this first appeared.