Would you drink it from a box? Would you drink it with a fox?

[serious crayons]

In my efforts to trim my household budget, I have started buying the occasional box of wine. I can't say it's delicious, but it's probably no worse than any other wine that would sell for $5 or $6 a bottle, which is approximately what boxed wine works out to be.

Anybody find a brand they particularly like?

[David In Indy]

I have never been much of a wine drinker. I don't DISLIKE it though. I love sweet red wines. When I do buy wine, it's always in a bottle, although I've been very curious about those boxed wines. Many people buy their wine like that.

So, I voted "maybe"

[serious crayons]

For the uninitiated, I should add that a box of wine costs $18 to $22 and is the equivalent of four bottles.

If I buy wine by the bottle, I usually aim for somewhere around $10 (lately, even less). So a box is approximately half the cost of what I'd consider decent bottled wine.

[louisev]

can't drink wine with preservatives in it, and that goes for the wine in a box.

[David In Indy]

For the uninitiated, I should add that a box of wine costs $18 to $22 and is the equivalent of four bottles.

If I buy wine by the bottle, I usually aim for somewhere around $10 (lately, even less). So a box is approximately half the cost of what I'd consider decent bottled wine.

So basically we are paying as much for the bottle as we are for the wine inside it! Hmmm...

And then we just throw the bottle away.

Well, if I ever decide to become a die-hard wine drinker I'll seriously consider the boxed versions.

[delalluvia]

I have never been much of a wine drinker. I don't DISLIKE it though. I love sweet red wines. When I do buy wine, it's always in a bottle, although I've been very curious about those boxed wines. Many people buy their wine like that.

So, I voted "maybe"

I voted "yeech".  I like wine, but only if it's very good.  People ask me if I like wine, and if I say I do, they buy me a glass of wine that tastes like mouthwash and vinegar or buy a bottle for 9 bucks on sale for a party and then wonder why I avoid it.  Most of the wines I like start at $100 a bottle and go up in price.

[David In Indy]

I voted "yeech".  I like wine, but only if it's very good.  People ask me if I like wine, and if I say I do, they buy me a glass of wine that tastes like mouthwash and vinegar or buy a bottle for 9 bucks on sale for a party and then wonder why I avoid it.  Most of the wines I like start at $100 a bottle and go up in price.

Oh not me! I used to drink Ripple!

[Lynne]

Hey there, Katherine!

I have definitely found boxed wine that I like...I'm spacing on the brand right now, but I'll get back to you about that (Alameda?) I'm remembering the Merlot or Cab as very decent and the Red Table as too sweet and pretty bad; I try to avoid white wines - for some reason, I think you have to spend quite a bit more $$ to get a good Chardonnay than you do a Chianti.

I've long been partial to the Australian wines for economy, especially Alice White and the Yellow Tail varieties, Shiraz or Shiraz/Merlot.  There's a plum undertone there that I really enjoy.

Those are roughly the same price as boxed, maybe a little more expensive...$8-9 bottle or $14 for the very large bottle.  I can frequently find them on sale 2/$11-12 or 2/$20.

One trouble with boxed is the spout...having wine on tap enables you to wonder just how many glasses you've had, whereas the empty bottle(s) is quite apparent.

 

[pnwDUDE]

Black Box Merlot is one of our favorites. Like the name says, it comes in a box and it ain't cheap for a boxed wine. The equivalent of four 750 ml bottles cost about $30. Fred Meyer (aka Kroger for most of ya'll) has it on sale now and then for about $19. No sulfates or preservatives, just a great wine. IMO boxed Franzia and Peter Vella wines are horrible. Of course they are cheap, but loaded with preserves and such.

Red Diamond has a very fine Merlot (expensive). I also like Citra's Trebbiano D'abruzzo. Nice Italian wine with pastas. While I enjoy a good Chianti, this Citra's D'abruzzo tops all I have found.

Brad

[Penthesilea]

I voted "Yeech, are you kidding?" But I'm living in Germany. We barely have boxed wine here. If so, it comes in 1L tetrapaks and is the cheapest of the cheap. Never tried that one.
I live in a wine growing region and even in a common grocery market you can get a wide range of local wines as well as international ones - in bottles of course.

Wine lovers buy their wine directly at local vineyards and I doubt you'll find a wine-grower here who would fill his stuff into boxes .
Not yet at least, give it ten or 15 more years and this may change .


I'm not a wine-lover (that's a fact you almost have to feel ashamed of when you live here ). I drink a glass every now and then and I'm not snobby about it. I love the cheap Lambrusco because it's pretty sweet and sparkles a bit.

[CellarDweller]

I'm not a wine drinker, but I will say that wine from a box just seems ...........wrong.   

[min]

I'm not a wine drinker, but I will say that wine from a box just seems ...........wrong.   

I don't drink much of anything alcoholic but I agree with you...

[serious crayons]

I'm not a wine drinker, but I will say that wine from a box just seems ...........wrong.   

Well, the advantage is not only that it's cheaper, but that theoretically you can have just one or two glasses at a time and because the wine is vacuum-packed (actually it's in a heavy plastic bag inside the box), it will last for a long time.

Though, as Lynne said, the opposite is likely to happen, too -- you drink more than you otherwise would without realizing it because you can't see how much you're getting.

Most of the wines I like start at $100 a bottle and go up in price.

I don't drink $100 wine, not only because I can't afford it but because I don't want to be exposed to it and find that's the only kind I like, too. I'd rather just be obliviously content with cheaper wine.

[CellarDweller]

I don't drink $100 wine, not only because I can't afford it but because I don't want to be exposed to it and find that's the only kind I like, too. I'd rather just be obliviously content with cheaper wine.

 


I' not a wine drinker at all, probably one of the few Italians who doesn't like wine.

[Jeff Wrangler]

In my efforts to trim my household budget, I have started buying the occasional box of wine. I can't say it's delicious, but it's probably no worse than any other wine that would sell for $5 or $6 a bottle, which is approximately what boxed wine works out to be.

Oh, Katherine. ... 

When someone of your taste and education starts drinking wine from a box, it's the end of civilization as we know it. 

At least you could buy it in bottles with screw caps!

Me, I would not drink it from a box. I would not drink it with a fox. 

[CellarDweller]

I would not drink it with a fox. 

Not even this Fox?

[serious crayons]

Oh, Katherine. ... 

When someone of your taste and education starts drinking wine from a box, it's the end of civilization as we know it. 

At least you could buy it in bottles with screw caps!

Me, I would not drink it from a box. I would not drink it with a fox. 

Well, thanks for the implicit sort-of compliment. I certainly don't want to be responsible for the end of civilization! 

And I DO buy wine with screw caps. I much prefer them, actually. If I'm in the store trying to decide between two different wines and one has a screw cap, that's the one I pick. From what I've read, there's no reason not to -- oenophiles have given them the A-OK. Much of the wine from Australia and NZ, especially, seems to be screw-capped these days.

Boxed wine, I'll admit, is not up there in quality with screw-capped wine.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Well, thanks for the implicit sort-of compliment. I certainly don't want to be responsible for the end of civilization! 

And I DO buy wine with screw caps. I much prefer them, actually. If I'm in the store trying to decide between two different wines and one has a screw cap, that's the one I pick. From what I've read, there's no reason not to -- oenophiles have given them the A-OK. Much of the wine from Australia and NZ, especially, seems to be screw-capped these days.

Boxed wine, I'll admit, is not up there in quality with screw-capped wine.

Well, at least you know what standards you are violating.     

[Brown Eyes]

I scanned through this thread looking... and I don't see it yet (but I could be overlooking it)... this thread seems to beg for a Brokieism... 

"Wine boxes are hard to pack"!
 

I love wine.  Love, love, love it.  It's one of my favorite kinds of drinks.  And, I think that dry, cold white wine is one of the most refreshing beverages on earth.

I haven't ever tried boxed wine though.

[LauraGigs]

The bottle of wine Ennis takes out here...  was there a screw-cap on it or was it sealed with a wad of plastic wrap?  I seem to remember it was the latter.

A vital question for oenophile Brokies!

[southendmd]

The bottle of wine Ennis takes out here...  was there a screw-cap on it or was it sealed with a wad of plastic wrap?  I seem to remember it was the latter.

A vital question for oenophile Brokies!

I thought he pulled a cork out of it.  Hmm, a good reason to rewatch the film. 

[southendmd]

Wine in a box?  I think not.

I don't mind screw-tops at all, but I don't want my wine to be in contact with plastic.   

While it's easy to find a good wine for a lot of money, I like the challenge of finding a decent, drinkable wine for under $10-12.  Turns out, it's not that difficult, just gotta try things.  I especially like cheap reds from the south of France, like Rhones, or cotes de provence, or languedoc. Very drinkable.  Save the expensive wine for a special occasion. 

[LauraGigs]

I especially like cheap reds from the south of France, like Rhones, or cotes de provence, or languedoc. Very drinkable.  Save the expensive wine for a special occasion.

Me too, although I still get "red-wine headache" often.  (Less so with French than the CA wines.)

I went to a party where the host had made his own wine (they have places where you can go make "homemade" wine, beer, mead, etc.  A new yuppie hobby, I guess...)  Anyway, his wine was a revelation because in addition to being delicious, there was no headache!!  (No preservatives.)  Whoo-whee!!

 

[serious crayons]

I went to a party where the host had made his own wine (they have places where you can go make "homemade" wine, beer, mead, etc.  A new yuppie hobby, I guess...)  Anyway, his wine was a revelation because in addition to being delicious, there was no headache!!  (No preservatives.)  Whoo-whee!!

I have that new yuppie hobby! And in fact have some bottles in the basement as we speak. I did a pinot grigio and a meritage. The white is OK, a little too tart and citrusy for me, but I think that's just my taste -- I like dry wine, and I'm not big on citrus. Others have said they like it a lot. The red won't be sufficiently aged until next fall.

It works out to about $5 or $6 a bottle.

[southendmd]

Me too, although I still get "red-wine headache" often.  (Less so with French than the CA wines.)

I went to a party where the host had made his own wine (they have places where you can go make "homemade" wine, beer, mead, etc.  A new yuppie hobby, I guess...)  Anyway, his wine was a revelation because in addition to being delicious, there was no headache!!  (No preservatives.)  Whoo-whee!!

 

It's not that new a hobby.  My father briefly was into homemade winemaking in the '70s.  It was very, very awful. 

Laura, I wonder now that there are so many organic wines available, if they're less headache-ogenic?  My local joint has only organic wines on its list. 

[David In Indy]

It's not that new a hobby.  My father briefly was into homemade winemaking in the '70s.  It was very, very awful. 

Laura, I wonder now that there are so many organic wines available, if they're less headache-ogenic?  My local joint has only organic wines on its list. 

My parents made their own wine too back in the 70s. They bought all the equipment and I remember watching it percolate in the big glass bottles. They made all different kinds of wine. Dad still has some of those great big glass bottles sitting around the house.

[Penthesilea]

A new yuppie hobby, I guess

 
My husband wants to get into this hobby . We have three vines in our garden, two have a more shadow-y place and don't grow fast and only bear little fuit, but the one around the front gate grows like weed and brings plenty of grapes every year. So far the greatest part of the grapes only went to waste, which is a shame.
This year we'll try to make either wine or at least grape-jelly.

[serious crayons]

It's not that new a hobby.  My father briefly was into homemade winemaking in the '70s.  It was very, very awful. 

Laura, I wonder now that there are so many organic wines available, if they're less headache-ogenic?  My local joint has only organic wines on its list. 

It's a little different when you're doing it at a place where they give you the ingredients and guide you through the process. It's easier, anyway. And you don't have a mess at home.

I do know one woman who makes her own plum wine from fruit that grows in her yard. It doesn't taste much like wine, but it's kind of good.

[Jeff Wrangler]

I went to a party where the host had made his own wine (they have places where you can go make "homemade" wine, beer, mead, etc.  A new yuppie hobby, I guess...)  Anyway, his wine was a revelation because in addition to being delicious, there was no headache!!  (No preservatives.)  Whoo-whee!!

Home-brewing mead is very popular among medieval historical reenactors. I once bought a kit to try it but never got around to it. By now the yeast is probably dead as a doornail. 

A friend once brought me a bottle of mead from a winery somewhere in Indiana. It was one of the best things I've ever drunk! Very light but with a definite taste of the honey. 

I think home-brewing mead definitely must be an art. I have been served some home-brewed meads that were so thick and syrupy that you might as well have been drinking honey out of a jar. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

It's not that new a hobby.  My father briefly was into homemade winemaking in the '70s.  It was very, very awful. 

Italians in South Philadelphia have been making their own wine for, oh, probably about a hundred years. (I'm not kidding.)

[mariez]

It's not that new a hobby.  My father briefly was into homemade winemaking in the '70s.  It was very, very awful. 

Italians in South Philadelphia have been making their own wine for, oh, probably about a hundred years. (I'm not kidding.)

Yep.  My Italian grandfather made his own wine and I have an uncle that still does.  I have to agree with Paul, though.  From what I've tasted - no thanks! 

[Kerry]

I voted for "I've had box wine that I like." That's PAST tense. Red wine is my tipple of choice - preferably in bottles.

[southendmd]

Off topic, but I've had homemade beer that was very, very good!

[serious crayons]

Off topic, but I've had homemade beer that was very, very good!

My husband used to make homemade beer, and it WAS good. As good as most microbrewery beer, and far better than the big American brands. He had only one off batch: the recipe called for adding oak chips to simulate a cask-aged flavor, but the resulting beer tasted way too much like oak. We called it woodbrau and drank it anyway.

[Jeff Wrangler]

My husband used to make homemade beer, and it WAS good. As good as most microbrewery beer, and far better than the big American brands. He had only one off batch: the recipe called for adding oak chips to simulate a cask-aged flavor, but the resulting beer tasted way too much like oak. We called it woodbrau and drank it anyway.

Glad to know you didn't waste it.

[serious crayons]

Glad to know you didn't waste it.

Nope, if anyone's gonna get wasted, it's me.

[southendmd]

The proper vessel for drinking woodbrau.

[southendmd]

Don't look now, but what's beyond wine in a box?

[CellarDweller]

That is just wrong!