Thinking Inside the Box (Are Box Wines any good?)

Mr. Dave Orth of Washington D.C. writes, “Hey Wine Guy you did such an incredible job of letting us know that screw top wines can be good I was wondering if the same thing was true for Box Wines?”

Thanks Dave that is a very insightful question and I feel blessed to have received it, as any insight coming from Washington D.C. is indeed rare.

Before I answer your question let me tell you about the box.  The main advantage of wine in a box is that it has a membrane inside the box that holds the wine.  As you drink the wine the membrane shrinks around the wine minimizing the contact that air has with the wine.  Air causes wine to go bad so the less air that touches the wine the longer it will last.  A refrigerated, half empty bottle of wine sealed with a wine stopper will last 2-3 days before going bad. A half empty box of wine will last two or three weeks.  

The tap attached to the box makes if very convenient to use. Box wine is more convenient the bottles if you are having a gathering.  A box generally holds three liters of wine while standard bottles hold ¾ of a liter.  Box wine may also be good for folks that live a live alone or live with a partner that does not drink wine (you should seriously consider breaking up but that is a topic for another day), don’t care much about the quality of the wine, and only drink a glass or two a day because the membrane will extend the life of the wine so that it will stay good for the week or two it will take you to finish it.  

That’s the good news.  The bad news is that an unopened bottle of wine, depending on the type of wine, could stay good for several years.  Because an unopened bottle lets in significantly air then an unopened box you should plan on drinking any boxed wine ASAP after purchasing it.  As a general rule you should never store a boxed wine for more than a year before drinking it.  Some more bad news is that box wine is at best so-so as most box wine is massed produced wine with boxed wine producers marketing the packaging as much if not more than the wine inside the package.   

So Dave if you value convenience, don’t plan on finishing the wine in 2-3 days, and aren't all that picky about the quality of the wine, than wine in a box may be an option for you.