Sunday, April 29, 2007

Boxed Wine Isn't for Everyone

Christian Pillsbury, in an April 24 post on the wine blog winibris, has some great comments on the boxed wine trend.
I don’t like box wine. I am however a fan of box wine. It’s not a snob thing; I just usually know something not much more expensive that will provide me with a lot more pleasure.

winberis.com: On box wine


While boxed wine may not be the choice for him, Christian believes that boxed wine is a great choice for a good sized segment of the wine buying public; the maybe 40% who will walk into Trader Joe's and buy an appealing label for a reasonable price. Maybe there's something good inside, but maybe not. Or the perhaps 20% who are still searching for the beer keg.

Enter modern box wine. I see box wine as an easy, safe bridge to the world of wine. Buy it at Target and Walmart. It’s cheap. With a Mylar bag insert, it will last in the fridge. Many of the wines are better than “Two buck Chuck”, and serve as an easy and confidence inspiring alternative to beer. I am all for the bigger wine companies flexing their economies of scale, and reviving the flagging >$6 wines category with a new, sensible range of offerings.

winberis.com: On box wine


This sensible view is in synch with my feeling that those of us shopping for wine in the $5 - $15 per bottle range have no rational reason to fear 3 liter premium boxed wines, other that "what will the neighbors think."

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