 Box It
Up
Award Winning Wines in a Box
By John W. Schultz
An astounding thing has happened to world of
wine packaging. Premium wine is now found in the most mundane of
packaging: the “Bag in the Box.”
Why does this package get such a bad rap? When you hear about
Italians filling their plastic gallon jugs, much like we do with
water, it sounds quaint and authentic. Seems to me to be the bottom
of the wine amphora food chain. Understandably, much of the
box-market wine is third rate, and it has been for quite some time,
however, it is a new wine day. The Aussies started it, like many
smart trends as of late, by putting the good stuff in a box. What a
super idea! Although they may have gotten the concept from Steve
Martin in the motion picture, “The Jerk” when he dispenses Chateau
Lafite Rothschild from a bottled water type dispenser.
When it comes to the perfect container to hold your daily quaff,
the Box O’Wine guys have it right. The “Bag in the Box” (BIB) is
basically a cardboard box with a plastic bag inside to hold the
wine, and an airtight “state of the art” spigot to dispense the
wine. (I thought I would give this simple explanation, for those of
you who have never had the pleasure of this delight.)
The BIB is superior in function to all other wine containers for
a number of reasons. First, it’s hard to break, second, it’s easy to
open, and most importantly, it stores wine, for the medium term,
better than any other container, allowing a person to have glass
after glass, while the wine stays fresh. As the wine is dispensed,
the bag shrinks, so no fresh air is exposed to the wine. Oxygen has
a profound effect on wine over the course of hours or days; most
wines open up, turn flat and then begin to turn into vinegar.
The new higher quality BIB’s are from recognizable brands that
make great value bottled wine, and usually come in the smaller 3
Liter version, rather than the 5 Liter behemoth you may have noticed
before. Thanks to a combination of Scholle’s Durashield bags and
FlexTap spout, consumers can enjoy Bota Box wine for an average of
30-60 days after opening.
One particular Bota Box wine stands out in the marketplace right
now. The 2002 vintage of Delicato
Shiraz 3 liter (the equivalent of four bottles) is now available
for around 18 bucks. In addition to the 2002 Delicato Shiraz being
recommended on WineSquire as a “Highly Recommended Value Pick” and
winning numerous Awards and medals, it was also named the #1 value
of the year by the well-respected Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Can you
believe it? One of the best wine values of the year is available in
a box!
Suggested retail on this bargain is $17.99 for the 3 Liter box.
That is about 20 glasses of award winning wine for less that $1.00 a
glass. For those who like just an occasional glass, or those who
like the ultimate budget values, it’s perfect.
It is my belief that the folks who buy these premium BIB wines do
so because they like to drink delicious wine daily, and then buy
higher-end wine for special dinners and occasion. Many doctors have
recommended that a glass or two a day of wine improves your health,
and may help you live longer. Write yourself a prescription and pick
up a box. If you can’t find the 2002 Delicato Shiraz box where you
buy wine, I suggest you ask the manager why. Your heart will thank
you.
Cheers!
John Schultz |
