A whole column on box wines? Whom should I blame for this?
As you may remember from our last episode of Ten Dollar Tastings, reader Tom Hunter asked, “Have you reviewed any of the new box wines?” Which was a rhetorical question, because as a dedicated Tastings fan he knows darned well I haven’t, at least not here. So I decided, with my typical all-or-nothing verve, to devote this entire column to box wines. I’m going to cheat by using a great article I found that first appeared in the July 23, 2008 issue of The Charlotte Observer and written by Kathleen Purvis. Thanks much to the Observer for giving me permission to use some of it … well, most of it … in this column as long as I gave credit. Which of course I have.

I know what you might be thinking. Actually, I know two or three things you might be thinking. First, “Hey, Calhoun promised to review other wines, not just box wines, in this column.” Well, I lied. But I didn’t know at the time that I would find the excellent Charlotte Observer article and that my marketing writing instincts —never write anything you can steal — would take over.

The second thing you’re thinking is “Wait a minute, some of those box wines cost anywhere from 12 to 25 bucks, maybe even more. What’s this doing in a ten-dollar wine column?” Well, remember that these box wines range anywhere from 1.5 to three, even five liters. Three liters is the equivalent of almost four ordinary wine bottles at 25.4 ounces each, and five liters — thank you, my trusty calculator — is over six and a half bottles. To put this into perspective, my wife gets 34 five-ounce glasses out of a five-liter one box of Almaden Chardonnay. Try getting that out of a bottle of wine, even a really big bottle! (And if you know my wife, you know that she and “five-ounce glass” should not be found in the same sentence. But you catch my drift.)

And perhaps the third question on your mind is, “Where is the personal stuff that Mr. Cheap Wine usually injects into the column?” Thanks for asking, imaginary reader. My wife is working on finding an agent for her finally completed — applause, please — young adult novel. I am getting my stuff published in a number of magazines and still plodding away at my day job. And Alex the Labrador is still a dog. A big, happy lummox of a dog. And I still heartily recommend The Wine Merchant, whether in person or online.


No more dog: Back to the box wines
Yes, only one short paragraph of diversion. Here’s what the Charlotte Observer had to say about box wines. I’ll step out and have a quick glass while they’re talking and will let you know when I’m back:

From the Charlotte Observer: In the wine industry, the category is called "bag in box," or less appetizingly, "bladder wines," for the squishy silver bags inside. While they're still a small percentage of wine purchases, about one percent, sales are growing rapidly, up 41 percent in the last year, according to A.C. Nielsen Co.

And, yes, quality is improving. A new category, "premium bag-in-box," is selling for as high as $24.99, made with juice from well-known California wineries. (Note from Harry: I put down my wine glass for a minute. Some of the box wines sell for even more than $24.99 … read on.)

What are the advantages to a box with a spigot? Consider:

• Convenience. Glass breaks, corks fail. The boxes use a spigot to draw wine from a collapsible bag, keeping air out. Most box wines claim to keep up to a month after opening. A single wine drinker can have a glass at dinner a couple of times a week without opening a whole bottle that will only keep a day or two.

The popular 3-liter size holds the equivalent of four bottles but takes about the same amount of refrigerator space as a gallon of milk, while 1.5-liter boxes hold two bottles in something the size of a tissue box.

• Economy. Bargains drive wine trends. Look at Trader Joe's popular Charles Shaw wines for $2 to $3. Do the math and box wine prices can be impressive. Since boxes are cheaper to make and fill than bottles with corks, box wines usually cost at least $1 less per bottle.

Aside from the premium boxes, which are $19.99 to $24.99 at Total Wine & More stores, most 3-liter boxes are $9.99 to $13.59, which works out to $2.50 to $3.40 a bottle.

• Environmentalism. Want to turn your wine green? The Wine Group of San Francisco, which owns brands such as Franzia and Glen Ellen, claims boxes generate 85 percent less landfill waste and 55 percent fewer carbon emissions. A truck hauling heavy bottles burns more gas than a truck filled with lighter boxes. And the box can be stomped flat when it's empty. (Please don't try that with a bottle.)

Now, to the disadvantages.

First, there's fashion. It used to be that nothing told your guests "I'm cheap" faster than a cardboard box at a party. But that's changing. Target's Wine Cube line comes in tastefully colored boxes with optional accessories, like BYO nylon carriers. And then there's quality.  

Putting them to the test
From Harry: My wine if half gone, so I came back to get a little more and introduce the rest of what the Observer had to say. To see how quality had improved (or not), The Charlotte Observer lined up a blind testing with Catherine Rabb, a Johnson & Wales University instructor who writes a wine column for the paper. The tasting, conducted in the summer, focused on white wines worth taking on a beach trip. As the newspaper pointed out, there’s no glass to break on a boat or by the pool, and the boxes fit well in the small refrigerators often found in rentals.

From the Charlotte Observer: We took them to Fenwick's on Providence in Charlotte, the restaurant Rabb owns with her husband, Don, and set up numbered glasses. Don Rabb poured, so we couldn't see what was in each glass. The wines were tasted at room temperature, so flaws wouldn't be masked by chilling.

For a wine expert (she's working on her wine master certification Catherine has an open mind about bargain wines. She also knows what she wants in a beach wine: "They should be fairly neutral, something that goes good with seafood and isn't too high in alcohol, so you can have a second glass without getting a headache."

The surprise? Overall, these were pretty good. Not great. "There's not a hint of terroir,” Rabb said. "But that's not what you want in a beach wine."

"If you chill these, they wouldn't be bad at all," said Rabb. "Which is maybe what you're looking for in a $2.50 bottle of wine."

Tasting notes
Here are the notes from the tasting.

Best overall
1. Wine Cube Pinot Grigio, $8.49 for a 1.5-liter box, Target. Steely with some depth and a hint of tropical fruit flavors and aromas of pineapple and peach.

2. Franzia Vintner Select Chardonnay, $12.99 for five liters at Total Wine & More. A hint of sweetness and a little acidity, with aromas of pineapple and tropical fruit.

3. Wine Cube Sauvignon Blanc, $13.59 for 3 liters, Target. The aroma was odd, sort of like body odor and ground pepper, but the taste wasn't offensive. It had a little brightness and acidity and some lingering aftertaste.

Middle
4. Hardy's Chardonnay, $17.99 for 3 liters, Total Wine & More. This was one of the few that had a hint of color — the rest were almost clear. The aroma had some fruitiness and a little toasted oak, while the taste had notes of lemon and green apple.

5. Wine Cube Chardonnay, $8.49 for 1.5 liters, Target. The aroma is "faux oak" and coffee grounds, but the taste has a dose of acidity.

Worst
6. Corbett Canyon Pinot Grigio/Chenin Blanc, $9.99 for 3 liters, Total Wine & More. The aroma is toasted nuts and not much else, while the taste is acidity and not much else. Not offensive. Just ... nothing.

7. Pacific Peak Pinot Grigio, $9.99 for 3 liters, Total Wine & More. The only real loser in the bunch. The aroma had a cardboard smell like corked wine that Rabb called "dog hair and dusty apples." The flavor was thin and sour, "like the worst hangover waiting to happen."


The return of Calhoun, or “who hijacked my column”?
All right, that was a great glass of red wine that I had while the Charlotte Observer people were busy tasting and talking. Bogle Phantom, a tasty blend of Petite Sirah, Mourvedre and Zinfandel, one of my faves. But back to the box wines:

One that my wife and I find quite tasty is Almaden Chardonnay, which goes for under 15 bucks for a five-liter bottle most places. It also has 13 percent alcohol, which is pretty high for a box wine. I also seem to remember that their Rhine box wine is pretty good, although a tad on the sweet side. The Almaden site has this to say about the Chardonnay, albeit in a wimpy, flowery font:

"With its slightly buttery flavor with crisp, concentrated character of apple and pear, Almaden Chardonnay is the essential white wine. The flavors of apple and pear in this wine are the perfect accompaniment to soft, mild cheeses, smoked salmon, omelets and quiche."

Fortunately, the Almaden folks know more about winemaking than font selection. (They also know about hyperbole — “essential”? That’s like me calling my brandy mandatory.). Anyway, this is pretty good stuff. I wouldn’t rate it up there with a good French Chardonnay, but it holds its own against other California wines.

The Wine Merchant carries a nice selection of Delicato three-liter boxes. (Remember, you don’t have to live in North Carolina to take advantage of this — you can order online.) They have a Cabernet, a Merlot and a Chardonnay that range in price from $19.75 to $25.99. The store also carries a Pinot Grigio from Bota Box, and that three-liter box runs $25.99. Here are some reviews of the Delicato and Bota Box wines, excerpted from The Wine Merchant site:
“Delicato wines exhibit luscious fruit flavors that make them the perfect wine for real life. On the nose, the Delicato Cabernet Sauvignon has full aromas of currant, blackberry, and black cherry that blend well with sweeter aromas of vanilla and toasted bread. This medium-bodied wine has rich, well-developed flavors of cherry, blackberry and a hint of oak to complement the fruit. It pairs well with barbecue, hearty meat stew, or pasta.”
These wines are also higher in alcohol content than I expect in a box wine. The Merlot carries 13.5 percent alcohol, while the Cabernet is 13.3. The Bota Box Pinot Grigio doesn’t list an alcohol percentage, but according to the Wine Merchant site it “exhibits citrus, candy, and floral aromas that are supported by flavors of lemon, vanilla, and stone fruit in the mouth. It has a rich texture and mouthfeel with a light mineral and ginger flavor on its extended finish giving it a refreshing quality.” I’m not the biggest Pinot Grigio fan (I’m only 5’8” and maybe 150 pounds) but that sounds good.


Pick for Charlie
Charlie, glad you liked the Bulletin Place Shiraz I recommended last time. This time, I’m going to recommend the Delicato Cabernet Sauvignon box wine. Check it out and see what you think … at the very least, you’re getting three liters worth for a good price.


Surf in for more Tastings next time …
Well, I have no idea what I’m going to write about next time around. But it sure as heck won’t be box wines! I’ll be going back to reviewing the usual range of affordable bottles. Remember, if you have a theme you’d like me to talk about, drop me a line at HarryC13@aol.com and let me know. Heck, we’ve explored everything from box wines to wearable dresses made from wine by-products to quotes from Pamela Anderson. I’m sure that one way or another, we’ll keep you entertained!

Until then, in vino veritas and que Syrah, Syrah!


Thanks as always to The Wine Merchant for providing excellent wines, wine education and support. Prices are based on the author’s experience and may vary.

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