Wine Goes to College

College students will drink anything (I know - I was one, and I did). Boxed wine has been a college party staple for years. Of course, for most of those years until recently, it was all plonk. This article in yesterday's Collegiate Times looks at the explosion in alternative package wines, pointing out that it's not the package, but what's inside it that counts.

Wine to go
December 6th, 2006
Laura Brockman, Associate Features Editor

The act of opening a bottle of wine has become a ceremony to many people, so you can imagine what a sacrilege it must seem to those people to see wine in boxes and bags. But in today's "on-the-go" culture, wine bottles can be very inconvenient and are a pain to attempt to pack for a picnic or other activity. Luckily, some wine makers are able to see outside the bottle and are offering new packaging choices.

Imagine cracking open a cold one while watching the game — only this time it's a can of wine instead of a beer can. Companies such as Barokes (www.wineinacan.com) are offering this option to adventurous wine drinkers. The Australian company packages their wine using a patented Vinsafe process, which involves lining the cans to protect the wine from aluminum and assuring that the wine inside is good quality and can last several years.

Each can holds approximately two glasses of wine, a good size to enjoy anywhere, since you don't need a glass or corkscrew. The company offers six varieties of wines: a Merlot, Chardonnay and rosé either flat (normal) or bubbly.

The cans can be difficult to find, since the concept is fairly new, but you can purchase Barokes wines online at their website in packs of 24 cans at $96 for each pack.

Another convenient package is the juice box. This branched off from the larger boxed wines that are popular. Now you can purchase a single serving of wine in juice box form. The adult juice box makes sense for environmental reasons: the cardboard containers are recyclable, easily decompose and are cheaper to ship than heavier glass bottles. In addition, a juice box can be easily tossed in a backpack.

One company that makes these "adult" juice boxes is Three Thieves Winery (www.threethieves.com). Their "bullet" brand of juice boxes comes complete with witty sayings on the back like "this is what happens when winemakers and engineers hang out together."

The Californian company offers Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon in its juice boxes. Again, each box holds about two glasses of wine. I haven't seen these in local stores, but you can purchase them at the company's website at $10 for a four pack.

While on the topic of juice box wine, it is necessary to mention wine in a box. These wines are placed in a bag then placed inside a box. They are a great, inexpensive way to serve wine to a large crowd.

The box has a handle that makes it portable and an easy pour spout. Just because it is sold in bulk and in a box doesn't mean that it should taste awful. One classier box wine I recommend is Black Box Wines.

The box itself has a classic black and gold design and the wine inside is actually fairly tasty. One more benefit of box wine is shelf life — the wines can last several weeks after they've been opened because of the inner bag.

Of course, if you insist on keeping wine in a bottle but still want to travel with wine, many wineries make small, single serving sized bottles in six packs that can be found at the end of the wine aisle. If you want to bring a regular sized bottle along with you, BuiltNY makes a handy tote that can carry a bottle (or three) safely to its destination. Unfortunately, you'll still have to figure out how to package the glasses and corkscrew.

It is important to keep in mind that it is not packaging — or even price— that determines a good wine. A perfectly good wine can be served in a can — what makes a wine good is your enjoyment, whether it is a $100 bottle or a $3 can.

Wine to go

technorati tags: box, boxed, wine

What kind of cheese are you going to serve? Velveeta?

In today's Philadelphia Inquirer, restaurant critic Craig LaBan suffers the wisecracks of co-workers who are asked to join him in a holiday tasting of box wines.

I myself am the kind of wine drinker who has never mastered the painting of an olifactory picture with words like "verbena," "baked apple," "ripe figs," and "cigar box" (love to read that stuff, just can't conjure it up). Therefore I am particularly taken with the simplicity of LaBan's rating system. I believe I would add one higher level, "Anniversary Dinner Wine." (Yes, I truly believe there must be boxed wine that good).

Here are LaBan's ranking of the 21 boxed wines tasted:

Worthy House Wine

• Cuvee de Peña grenache-syrah blend (France; $15.99, available at Canal's Discount Liquor, Pennsauken, 856-665-4202)
• Black Box chardonnay ($19.99)
• Black Box cabernet sauvignon ($23.99)
• Black Box merlot ($19.99)

Party Worthy

• Three Thieves trebbiano rubicone (Italy; not yet available)
• Black Box pinot grigio ($23.99)
• Fish Eye shiraz (California; $19.99)
• Killer Juice chardonnay ($18.99)
• Three Thieves cabernet sauvignon (1 liter, $9.99)

Party Worthy (but only if brought anonymously)

• Killer Juice shiraz (n/a)
• Killer Juice cabernet sauvignon ($18.99)
• Banrock Station cabernet sauvignon (Australia; $14.99)
• Banrock Station chardonnay (Australia; $14.99)
• Three Thieves pinot grigio (California; 2 liter, $9.99)
• Hardy's riesling(Australia; $15.99)
• Hardy's shiraz (Australia; 1.5 liter bottles only in Pa., $9.99)

Plonk

• Sheila's Shiraz (France; five liter, $20.99)
• Fish Eye pinot grigio (California; $19.99)
• Vendange pinot grigio (California; 500 ml n/a)
• Vendange merlot (California; 500 mL n/a)
• Vendange zinfandel (California; 500 mL n/a)

Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/06/2006 | Wine in a box: A taste test

Be sure to check out the article for specific tasting notes on some of these selections.

technorati tags: box, boxed, cask, wine, tasting, review

Wine Cube Cabernet Sauvignon

This addition to the list of boxed wines is also a wine that we were drinking at our house in early December.

Wine Cube Cabernet Sauvignon
From Target / Trinchero Family Estates
California, Monterey & Lodi Delta
3 liter box, vintage dated
About $16

Our cabernet is oak-aged for richness and sports juicy blackberry and plum flavors with a touch of herbal complexity.

SuperTarget


Although I can find some reviews of Wine Cube's other wines, I cannot find any reviews of the Wine Cube Cabernet Sauvignon in the press, blogs, or forums. As I said, this is the wine we drank at our house in December. Each evening I decant several glasses worth while dinner is cooking. We found this wine to be very good. I give it 3.5 stars (out of 5). Mr. FlyByNight (aka Diablo Rojo) gave it 4 stars. DR often describes bad wine in the way one would judge the unfriendliness of a mean neighbor's pet dog (growls, or bites). I would guess this one exhibited something along the lines of a friendly wag and a big, slurpy smile.

technorati tags: box, boxed, wine, Cabernet, Sauvignon, Wine Cube

Aussie Grapes in American Boxes

Western Farm Press today published an editorial by Harry Cline, commenting on the Aussie wine glut making it's way into the US market in the form of "critter wines." But that's not all. Apparently Aussie bulk wine is finding it's way into containers with "American" labels.

Bottled critter wine from Australia has cut into bottled California wine sales. Now, apparently surplus critter wines from Australia are being shipped to California in bulk to be blended with California wines and carry an American appellation.

Consumers may not recognize the difference, but California grape growers do because this has been a major factor in the dearth of winery buyers for 2006 California wine grapes.

For example, there is a Franzia Bag-in-a Box White Zinfandel being sold in supermarkets that looks like a California product. However, there is no California appellation to be found anywhere on it. The appellation says “American.” The reason is that as much as 25 percent of the White Zinfandel in the bag-in-a-box is wine imported bulk to the United States, likely from Australia, and bottled by the second largest winery group in the United States, Constellation Brands.

Spilled Aussie wines stain the market / Spilled Aussie wines stain the market

And this is happening in a year which has been particularly tough for US growers, their harvest going begging for buyers.

For grape growers struggling unsuccessfully to find a home for their grapes, the huge increase in imports is like rubbing salt in the wound, since U.S. wine sales are up 2 percent to 5 percent, yet California growers are not benefiting. “It really concerns me to see California wineries importing wine in a year where so many gapes are available for sale in the state,” said San Miguel, Calif., grape grower Tony Domingos, in a recent edition of the CAWG newsletter. “I can understand the reduction in grape purchase due to the 2005 surplus, but to see new records of bulk wine imports when we have plenty of high quality grapes at reasonable prices is alarming.” “We need to create consumer demand for California wines and take back our market share from the imports,” added the San Luis Obispo County grape grower.

Spilled Aussie wines stain the market / Spilled Aussie wines stain the market

I guess the message in this is, whether bottle or box, "look for the California label."

technorati tags: box, boxed, cask, wine, California, Australian

Castelmaure Corbieres Rouge

Since I just posted the Washington Post piece mentioning this wine, I will add this post to the big list of bag-in-box wines.

Castelmaure Corbieres Rouge 2004
From S.C.V. Castelmaure, Kysela Pere et Fils, Ltd, importer
Languedoc, France
5 liter box, vintage dated (also available in 10 liter)
About $30 - $48

50% Carignan, 35% Grenache, 15% Syrah. Ripe blueberry, cherry and garrigue flavors.

Kysela Pere et Fils, Ltd.: S.C.V. Castelmaure

technorati tags: box, boxed, cask, wine, red, Castelmaure, Corbiere

More Party Wine Ideas from the Washington Post

There's a boxed wine among the holiday party wine recommendations from Ben Giliberti in today's Washington Post, and it is neither 5 liter plonk, nor any of the usual suspects in premium 3 liter boxes from California and Australia. This is a 5 liter French import from Kysela Pere et Fils.

Big Bottles That Won't Break Your Party Budget
By BEN GILIBERTI
Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Price is usually the major consideration when buying wines for office parties and other large holiday functions, which is why jugs, magnums (1.5-liter bottles) and bag-in-box wines are popular choices for such gatherings. Although in general the quality is truly abysmal, a select few big-bottle wines deliver tasty holiday cheer without breaking the party budget.
. . .
Don't worry about deciding between cork, screw cap or bag-in-box. The only thing that matters is what's inside.

BEN GILIBERTI - Big Bottles That Won't Break Your Party Budget - washingtonpost.com

Here is Ben's boxed wine recommendation:

Castelmaure 2004 Corbieres ($36 for 5-liter bag-in-box; France; Kysela Pere et Fils Ltd., 540-722-9228): This exceptionally tasty bag-in-box wine is similar to a good Cotes-du-Rhone, with soft fruit and light notes of Provencal herbs.

BEN GILIBERTI - Big Bottles That Won't Break Your Party Budget - washingtonpost.com

technorati tags: box, boxed, cask, wine, holiday, party

Boxed Wine Winners - California State Fair Wine Competition

The California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition is the oldest wine competition in North America, and claims to be the most prestigious as well. Boxed wines are judged side by side with 750 ml bottles, and this year (Aug 11 - Sept 4) there are five boxed medal winners.

Here are the 2006 boxed wine winners, and their awards and ratings. (Check out all the winners here.)

Killer Juice Chardonnay 2005
California, Central Coast (South)
3 liter box, $17.99
Silver 88 points

Black Box Chadonnay 2005
California, Monterey County
3 liter box, $18.00
Bronze 87

Fish Eye Pinot Grigio 2005
California
3 liter box, $14.99
Silver 92

Glen Ellen Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2004
California
3 liter box, $14.99
Silver 92

Black Box Merlot 2003
California
3 liter box $18.00
Bronze 86

technorati tags: box, boxed, cask, wine, California, competition, awards, ratings