Featured Winery -- English Estate Winery

English Estate Winery is located in Clark County Washington, east of Vancouver, and only 10 miles north of Portland, Oregon. English Estate has several of their vintage Pinot Noir wines available in 3-liter box.

The English Farm was purchased in 1903 by winemaker Carl English’s grandfather and great-grandfather, Carl S. and Jude English. Its 200 acres first grew potatoes and 8 children and then the property’s buildings served as a dairy farm until the early 1970's. Now, the more manageable 20 acres sit amidst a growing suburbia. The buildings have been renovated since Carl returned to the farm in 1977 and today make the perfect spot for a winery and tasting room.

In 1979 Carl began research on the Clark County, Washington soil, microclimate and general grapegrowing viability, culminating in a report titled, Winegrowing in Clark County Washington. Carl's research revealed that the Clark County soils and climate are equal to, or better than, any other winegrowing area in the world. Carl began planting wine grapes in 1980, then planted almost 4 acres of pinot noir vines in 1983, producing his first vintage for personal use in 1987. His wines were lauded by family and friends for many years, and in 2001, English Estate finally opened its doors, and Carl began offering his wine to the public. Carl’s winemaking philosophy has always been to promote the fruitiness of the grape, and in the various styles of wine he produces, the fruitiness is very prominent. He also believes in the great versatility of the pinot noir grape and thus produces pinot noir wine in many ways, to include pinot noir reds, nouveaux, and his Nectar, or sweet pinot noir sipping wine. The wines are currently available at the winery tasting room, online and in various Washington restaurants and wine shops, but if you get the chance to experience the character of English Estate and sip wine there, the charming setting of quaint, Classic American early-1900 farm buildings, towering sequoia and oak trees, seasonal flowers and burgeoning vines will transport you to another time. Located only 20 minutes from downtown Portland, Oregon, English Estate and its wonderful pinot noir wines are a necessary trip for the wine lover.

English Estate Winery News


English Estate Winery's Purple Thistle Wine Club offers members 20% off on wines, and a free wood "Beautiful Box" for 3-liter wines. Membership is free with a minimum commitment of 3 bottles or one 3-liter box per quarter.

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Slate Takes Note of Good Wine in Strange Containers

Six weeks ago Slate, the online magazine, acknowledged in it's Wine's World column what should be, by now, old news: good wine CAN come in a box.

In A Loaf of Bread, a Box of Wine?, subhead Good wine in strange containers, wine writer Mike Steinberger attributes the appeal to "the call of the gutter: the proclivity of highbrow purveyors (of food, art, couture, etc.) to seek edginess by embracing the lowbrow." He then concedes there are other reasons beyond simple "slumming". Unfortunately, his explanation of volume for outdoor activities completely misses the point as well. Wine in a box provides good value to the me, the wine consumer, and not just because I can buy a larger container, but also because:

• the wine is more economical for the winery to package;
• more economical for the distributor to ship;
• more economical for the merchant to store;
• more economical for the merchant to display on a shelf;
• and once I've opened it, the wine keeps for weeks, or months. I can enjoy a glass a day, and the last glass is as enjoyable as the first.

These are Steinberger's picks

Dtour 2004 Mâcon-Villages (France), $37 (3-liter tube)
Very assertive aromas, with a big whiff of honeysuckle, and some pineapple and verbena thrown in. Crisp and clean in the mouth, with more honeysuckle and a pronounced grapefruit note. Gently spicy across the palate. Nice.

Dtour 2004 Côtes-du-Rhône (France), $37 (3-liter tube)
A spicy, inviting nose, redolent of cherries and with a subtle note of Provençal herbs. Warm, ripe, cherry fruit in the mouth with a not-unpleasant medicinal edge. Depth and persistence here, as well. An apples-and-oranges comparison, but I like this slightly better than the Mâcon.

Three Thieves 2005 Chardonnay (California), $10.99 (1-liter jug)
A nice tropical nose of figs, melon, and lemon. Unoaked, which is pleasant. A little too sweet for my taste, but clean flavors, good concentration, and a nice lemony finish. As California chardonnays go, I've had a lot worse for a lot more.

Three Thieves 2003 Zinfandel (California), $10.99 (1-liter jug)
Spicy, brambly red berry aromas—the sort sometimes referred to as "zinberry"—along with a distinct medicinal note. A warm, fairly rich wine, with good structure and a decent finish. The classic American barbecue wine in a barbecue-friendly format.

Banrock Station 2005 Chardonnay (Australia), $18 (3-liter box)
Full-bodied, somewhat creamy wine, with peach, lemon, and marzipan flavors and a lick of honey. Some heft to the wine, but not at all heavy; best of all, lacks the sweetness that mars so many chardonnays, particularly at this price point. Surprisingly pleasant.

Black Box 2004 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (California), $18 (3-liter box)
Hello, roadkill—a blast of animal fur greets the nose, and then quickly, mercifully gives way to red berries, smoke, and clay. A cabernet light in color and light on the palate—more East Coast in style than California. That said, not bad—sprightly red fruit with a nice dash of spice and good structure.

Can good wine come in a box? - By Mike Steinberger - Slate Magazine

Thank you Mike Steinberger, for getting the word out that good wine can indeed come from a box, and drinking it shouldn't brand one a rube. But really Mike, being able to take it to the beach without a corkscrew is just a bonus.

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

Case Made for More Boxed Wine in UK

An article in UK's Just-Drinks makes the case for increasing bulk wine imports.

Compelling case for increasing bulk wine imports

15 September 2006| Source: Sally Easton

There are sound environmental and commercial reasons for increasing the bulk importation of wine into the UK, and producing wine bottles from lighter weight glass. And contrary to some misconceptions, writes Sally Easton, importing wine in bulk need not mean a drop in quality or even a lower image with the consumer.

...

One need only look at the advances in quality control of bag-in-box wine sold in the UK, much of which is imported in bulk.

Just Drinks

Consider the costs of packaging, of shipping, of warehousing. From a global environmental perspective, the efficiency of boxed wine is clearly a plus.

Technorati Tags: boxed wine, box wine, bag in box, cask wine

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

CNBC's "On the Money" Reports on Wine in a Box

TV news is taking note of boxed wine in this recent report on CNBC's "On the Money". Julia Boorstin reports on the trend in premium boxed wines and how consumers are drinking them in. The report features shoppers' comments, and remarks from Black Box's Ryan Sproule. Boorstin reports that this year Constellation brands expects sell 2 million boxes of wine, which represents $40 million in retail sales.

See the video at Box Wine: Not for frat parties anymore.

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Featured Wine -- Brutocao Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

The "Bliss Box" Mendocino Cabernet Sauvignon in a 3 liter box is from Brutocao Cellars. According to the Brutocao Cellars website, this wine is:

Fruit-forward with flavors of ripe berries, black currant and spice. Enjoy it with hearty beef, pork or Italian dishes.

Brutocao Cellars

In 2005 Carol Emert of the San Francisco Chronicle tasted this wine in a group of 30 boxed wines, and included it among 24 worthy of mention:

I enjoyed the bright and fruity 2002 Bliss Mendocino Cabernet Sauvignon ($32), with its red raspberry, strawberry and sweet watermelon flavors and soft tannins. It's not a terribly varietally correct Cab, but it is pleasant and drinks easily.

the San Francisco Chronicle

The Brutocao family were winemakers in Venice, Italy. The Bliss family were farmers in the United States. So it was only natural that—when the Brutocao family came to America and married into the Bliss family—they would combine their two passions and become grape growers and winemakers. And the result was Brutocao Cellars. The winery is located on 475 acres of vineyards in southern Mendocino County. The family opened their winery in 1991. The 3L Bliss Box 2002 vintage is at present available on the Brutacao Cellars website, specially priced at $20 through the end of the year.

Thank you to Carol Emert for the review. If any other wine lovers out there have tasted the Bliss Box Cabernet Sauvignon, we would love to hear from you

technorati tags:boxed wine, box wine, cabernet sauvignon, Brutocao Cellars

About "Cork-Taint" and Plastic

So why was boxed wine preferred 2 to 1 over cork-finished bottles in a blind tasting by a group with very refine palates (see the previous post)? And why was wine in screw-cap finished bottles slightly preferred?

"Cork-taint" is an issue that has been getting plenty of discussion lately, as synthetic corks have been making their way into the market. The synthetic corks are a good way to reduce the risk of taint. But the truth is that natural cork is not the only source of taint. The flavor of "taint" comes from a chemical called TCA. And the TCA can be present in the wine before it even goes into the bottle. The presence of TCA may be perceptable to the trained palate at levels as low as 1 ppt, and the acceptable threshold may vary by the wine, and the individual taster.

An excellent article in the 12/01/2003 edition of Wine Business Monthtly discusses taint, what it is, where it comes from, and suggests to me an answer to the question with which I started this post. Find the article at www.winebusiness.com

Some high points:

The chemical 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) is produced by the metabolism of trichlorophenol (TCP) by a broad range of molds. These molds are pervasive and ubiquitous. They can grow in and on any wood or paper product. Like most fungi, they require a fairly moist environment like a winery.

Now here's the kicker:

...plastic absorbs TCA, though the TTB does not permit putting plastic into wine to remove it (it does allow bag-in-the-box containers). Even the plastic liners on screwcaps can absorb TCA.

So, if there are low levels of TCA in a wine before packaging, possibly bag-in-box packaging reduces the concentration of TCA in wine by absorption into the plastic. And the same thing may be happening to a lesser degree in wines finished with screwcaps. This could explain why boxed wine would be preferred 2 to 1over cork-finished, and screwcapped wine preferred to a lesser degree. And this make a case for storing all bottled wines lying on their sides, even those finished under screwcaps and synthetic corks .

technorati Tags: cork taint, boxed wine, box wine, TCA