Bag in a Box - An Australian Icon

Boxed wine has made the the annual list of South Australia "heritage icons". Since 2001 the National Trust of South Australia has annually recognized a list of items which have made a significant contribution to the State's cultural identity. The 2006 BankSA Heritage Icons List

includes "Bag in a Box" wine cask packaging along with eight other items that have made a significant contribution to South Australia's cultural identity.

The National Trust has placed "Chateau Cardboard" on a pedestal along with other such cultural icons as Bickford's Lime Juice Cordial and the Victor Harbor Horse-Drawn Tram.

So, why is the humble wine cask a part of South Australian heritage? It is yet another example of local innovation, continuous improvement and highly successful commercialisation. ... Fortunately for the wine makers who continue to provide the value-for-money product, and the millions of consumers who appreciate that and the convenience of the cask, the bag-in-a-box is still a ubiquitous symbol of Australian egalitarianism. It’s also a standard bearer for South Australian inventiveness and deserves recognition by being placed on a pedestal and in the spotlight as a BankSA Heritage Icon.

2006 Bank SA Heritage Icons List

The article credits Angrove winemakers with invention of the "wine cask," introducing it to the public in 1965. Angrove is reported to be the first winemaker to put wine into bag-in-box packaging. However Scholle's invention of bag-in-box packaging for battery acid in 1955 most certainly predates Angrove's invention. (Please, no snide remarks involving the words "wine" and "battery acid" in the same sentence).

Whoever may be credited with the invention of bag-in-box packaging, Australia has most certainly brought it into the wine mainstream, and introduced to the world the concept of premium wine in a box. Chateau Cardboard - it's not just for "plonk" anymore.

technorati tags:boxed wine, box wine, bag-in-box, Scholle, Angrove Wine

A Box of Wine - A Cultural Icon

Many of the Franzia wine box Halloween costume photos I posted in October came from the website Box of Wine - A Cultural Icon. This website is a must-see for anyone curious about the whole boxed wine phenomenon. Writer, composer, and musician S. K. Waller is gathering info for a big full-color glossy coffee-table book about boxed wine. On the site's front page, Waller comments on wine-snobbery:

"I'm darned tired of wine snobbery. Wine should taste good. It's that simple. You don't need to know how to swirl a glass, or inhale the vapors as the wine sits on your tongue (that little pantomime makes you look like a demented fish, anyway). All you need to know is, do you like it? If not, it's a bad wine. If so, it's a good wine. And who the hell cares how much it costs? I took a $6.99 bottle of Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc to a wine tasting party a few years ago, where all the bottles were hidden inside paper bags so no one would know their identities. It won 1st place over dozens of other wines, including a $45.00 bottle of some California-wannabe-French wine. That night I learned a valuable lesson -- and won a fancy corkscrew as first prize besides." -- S.K. Waller

Box Of Wine - A Cultural Icon

The often disparaged box of wine has won a place in the hearts of one out of five wine drinkers worldwide. Why? Is it because of its lack of pretentiousness? Its ability to fit in with nearly any group or party? Certainly, it has less to do with economy than one might think at first consideration, because people the world over seem to love having their picture taken with a box of wine under their arm, suspended over their open mouths and even holding it front-and-center as they would a baby, a pet, or a treasured possession. Many people even dress up as a box of wine for costume parties. It's apparent that the simple, satisfying box of wine has become a cultural icon, recognizable to all and loved by many.

Box Of Wine - A Cultural Icon

Well, the if National Trust of South Australia officially names the bag-in-box wine cask a "heritage icon" for it's contribution to South Australia's cultural identity, then why not a coffee table book? Take a moment to visit Waller's "Boxxo" site!

technorati tags: box, boxed, cask, wine, boxxo, box o' wine

The Basic Black Box and Some Accessories

From Letizia Rossi, November 16, 2006, the Cool Hunting blog takes note of the boxed wine trend.

Boxed Wine
The fastest growing sector of the American wine market, boxed wine is starting to shake off its stigma as the gauche alternative to bottles. Wines that actually taste good can now be found in ecologically-sound, well-designed packaging without sacrificing quality. Here are a few of the better boxed wines featuring latest packaging innovations and some accessories to go with them.

Black Box
Black Box Wines feature grapes from renowned California growing regions. Unlike bottle stoppers that don't do much to stop oxidation, the spigot design prevents air from contacting wine until its poured, keeping it fresh for almost a month. Three-liter boxes (more than triple the volume of a bottle) sell for $18 and a couple varietals are available from BevMo.

Bag-in-box Wine Dispenser
A perfect fit with the Black Box three-liter bags, the Bag-in-box Wine Dispenser conceals your secret with its sleek design available in black, white and red. Designed by Swedish designer Patrik Svanberg, the Bag-in-box Wine Dispenser's European heritage is no surprise—boxed wine has long been popular on the continent. Available online for €40.

Cool Hunting: Boxed Wine

There's lots more in the way of accessories. I'm particularly curious about the bag-in-box wine dispenser, and will look at that further later on.

technorati tags: box, boxed, cask, wine, dispenser, bag-in-box