Then check out this interesting Bloomberg article by Elin McCoy. One statistic in particular caught my eye, "In fact, according to Nielsen, the premium 3-liter box wine category is the fastest-growing segment of the wine industry. In the fourth quarter of 2008, table-wine sales growth slowed to 2.8 percent, yet premium boxes zoomed 32 percent. Key buyers? Those with incomes of $70,000 and up, especially men." Hmm... I wonder why more men vs. women are into boxed wines?
I agree with Ms. McCoy's findings that most of the premium boxed wines are decent enough but nothing worth getting excited over. Certainly the quality of boxed wines has improved greatly over the the last five years and the wines highlited in this article are far from Franzia but I haven't found anything that I truly enjoy. I do keep a six pack of the 250 ml sized Bandit wines in my refrigerator since they are perfect for cooking purposes. The best aspect of boxed wine packaging is the design keeps air out so the wine does not spoil while you enjoy a glass or two a day. I've heard differing reports about the eco-friendliness of tetra-packs and I was informed by one winery that they will not put their wines in tetra-packs since the packaging ends up costing more than the wine. However you look at - one 3 liter box is certainly easier to carry home than 4 bottles of wine.
If you happen to find a boxed wine that you really like but can't stand the way it looks sitting on your contertop then you may want to check out this snazzy boxed wine dispenser. It easily fits and accomodates a 3 liter bag. Problem solved! Available in Red, White or Black from POAA.COM for 43 Euros. Now why didn't I think of this?
Or you could go with the far more swanky and sleek looking Danish designed VinUno for 99 Euros. Now this is classy!
Box wines are great! Check out www.aboutboxedwine.com for more labels and information about everything boxed wine.
ReplyDeletewhy do you think more men buy box wine? do we not know any better or is it a bargin hunting thing in our genes?
ReplyDeleteThe best ones I've tried (and the only ones that I would buy) are the Yellow + Blue organic wines.
ReplyDeleteThey needed a little time to open up, but once they did, they were actually tasty.
www.ybwines.com
The French Rabbits are hard wines to like
Believe me, I've suffered through bad boxed wine through the years, but now, I can heartily recommend the new Mini-Barrel from Red Truck Wines (Sonoma). I've enjoyed their bottled product for years, and the mini-barrel does not disappoint.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aboutboxedwine.com/news/bag-in-barrel-red-truck-releases-great-new-package/
wish you would've actually reviewed some :(
ReplyDelete