Friends, I'm coming out of the cellar and exposing my dark secret to all of you: I like box wines. I've been a fan of these practical affordable beverages for a while, and have been gradually tasting various brands (it takes a while to drink a whole cask, so it's slow going). Here's what changed my perspective: I drink a glass or less at a time (medicinal of course), and after a few days of being open, the bottles were undrinkable. Down the drain they went. Ever mindful of my budget, I reckoned I could save $50 a month or so if I switched to the box. But how to persuade my foodie friends to give these just-right-for-weeknight-friendly wines a chance?
I settled on a wine tasting. Nothing fancy, just 4 varieties--Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet-Shiraz blend. We'd compare a bottle of each varietal to 1 or 2 boxes. All the bottles would be $10 or less, something you'd drink on a weeknight. The tasting would be totally blind. It was also down and dirty, using small numbered paper cups.
As with food, wine tasting is very subjective. Some descriptors can also be very specific. (I won't name the sample that was described as smelling like the iron drops you give to infants.)
Here's what we tested:
Pinot Grigio--Pepperwood Grove (bottle) was the favorite, though some of us preferred Wine Cube (Target Brand). A couple of people liked Fish-Eye, though our resident wine expert, Scott Jones, and others found it too acidic.
Chardonnay- We all agreed we'd buy Black Box Chardonnay. We also liked Boho Vineyards Chardonnay (box), but it doesn't scream "Chardonnay." The bottle, Hogue, was our least favorite.
Merlot--We liked both, but most preferred Bota Box over the bottle, Ravenswood. Both had good balance. The Ravenswood was full-bodied, but Bota had an acidity we thought would make it a good choice with food.
Cabernet-Shiraz blend--This was our least favorite category. We preferred Wine Cube over Jacob's Creek (bottle), but just barely. I think next time we'll look at straight Cabernet or Shiraz and hope for better results.
**Our best-in-show was Black Box Chardonnay.** It retails for about $20 at Wal-Mart, a couple of dollars more at other groceries. It contains 4 bottles of wine, so you're paying only $5 or so a bottle, and wasting very little--though even casks change flavor after 6 weeks or so. But all in all a tremendous bargain for singles or couples who are light drinkers.
