I bought a wine Friday night that came in a large juicebox type container: Bandit from 3 thieves. I'm not sure why - maybe my spirit of adventure was acting up. But I must say it was a decent wine; a pinot grigio, suficiently dry and clean tasting. It came from Wal*Mart and the price was under $8 for the liter.

I mentioned it this afternoon to my local wine merchant, while I was picking up a couple more expensive wines. He was familiar with it and admitted he used to sell it himself once upon a time.

I know we are being told to accept quality wines with screw tops. Is this the next step. Mrs BamaVol liked the wine, but insists that it be decanted and served in a carafe. :rolleyes:

The US is greatly behind the rest of the world for wine packaging. Here a "better" wine has to have a cork, and few wineries dare to go against this. Elsewhere lots of wine is package in plastic (either box or bottle) and even in paper bottles (like orange juice), so quite a bit past a screw top. I've seen wines costing USD 20 per liter packaged like this, and it works well. But it would never sell in the US.

There are some good box wines - my last purchase was a fantastic Premier Cru White Burgundy for summertime drinking. Great because 3 Liters of wine could be dispensed over time without oxidizing - one of the great benefits of Box Wine.

There are some good box wines - my last purchase was a fantastic Premier Cru White Burgundy for summertime drinking. Great because 3 Liters of wine could be dispensed over time without oxidizing - one of the great benefits of Box Wine.

Australia has been putting some absolutely brilliant wines into boxes (casks) for decades now - the collapsible lining ensures no oxidising as mentioned above. One of my favourites was a Morris of Rutherglen red.

This guy likes to review cheap wines particularly those in boxes http://www.boxwines.org/

There are still very few options for better quality wine in a box that are available in the US. Possibilities to look for include Black Box and Free Range (the latter is all sourced in France). Can't speak for them yet, but they're on our to-try list (assuming the state-run stores carry them). We bought a case of Two-Buck Chuck in Ohio yesterday, though, so we won't need to try for a bit. (We had a bottle we liked and it seems to be the same batch.)

The problem with Bandit isn't the wine so much (apparently good for its price range) but that the tetra brick packaging's only benefit over a bottle is that it's cheaper. The bag-in-box packaging has the added benefit of preventing air from getting in, which allows you to keep it over weeks (which is good, since most packages are 4 bottles' worth).

Banrock Station from Australia has terrific wines in an "apple juice" 1L box. Fantastic!

I quite like box wines but I find them an awful bugger to store in my wine rack !

Read this thread today - stopped by the liquor store tonight - now three boxes are in my fridge.....thanks FT. :D

My mom always drank Franzia and the like (the low-end boxed wines, the ones on which the general disdain is founded -- and they deserve it!), so I never thought I'd go that route, but the quality available has gone way up in the past few years. I also like keeping a box of dry white and generic red (Target's boxed line works well for this) in the fridge for cooking purposes.

My mom always drank Franzia and the like (the low-end boxed wines, the ones on which the general disdain is founded -- and they deserve it!), so I never thought I'd go that route, but the quality available has gone way up in the past few years. I also like keeping a box of dry white and generic red (Target's boxed line works well for this) in the fridge for cooking purposes.

Just be careful that you don't get fooled. That may be a Wal*Mart red in a Target box! They're entirely different. Make sure you report it here if it happens to you. :D

The US is greatly behind the rest of the world for wine packaging.
Ain't that the truth.

Just be careful that you don't get fooled. That may be a Wal*Mart red in a Target box! They're entirely different. Make sure you report it here if it happens to you. :D


That's right -- Tuesday was a good year! :D

The US is greatly behind the rest of the world for wine packaging.

But we're competitive in the "cute labels" department.

I always laugh at box wine... Mr. Kipper's boss (or whatever) in the Marine Corps said he was a big wine person, but only ever drank box wine, and would talk about how quickly he would get drunk, but how he wouldn't have a hangover the next day with it.

No offense to anyone who drinks it, but box wine always makes me laugh. :)

Australia has been putting some absolutely brilliant wines into boxes (casks) for decades now - the collapsible lining ensures no oxidising as mentioned above. One of my favourites was a Morris of Rutherglen red.

Agreed. Borlotti (?) Merlot is better than most bottles 2 or 3 times the price, and has topped many lists.

Banrock Station from Australia has terrific wines in an "apple juice" 1L box. Fantastic!OT: I loved their 2004 vintage and raved about it to everyone. The Shiraz was even voted one of best values in the world at less than $4 a bottle in some places. But when I bought several bottles of their 2005 vintage it tasted like...well...cheap wine.

Target has those 4-pack wine cubes...not the best vino, but they fit in a cupholder. :o

we LOVE those target 'juice box' boxed wines...not as great wine, mind you, but as great kitsch, groovy packaging and perfectly fine vino. there's a preference in my house for the pinot grigio and the cab-shiraz. (the merlot...not so much.) my husband keeps threatening to sneak 'em into the movies to go with his popcorn, and it's great for a picnic--no worries about breakage and it's the perfect size. it's only a pity they don't come with straws. ;)

i think the 'juice box' is a brilliant idea, but i'm just waiting for the lawyers to get hold of it. seriously, i'm expecting some weird lawsuit about kids drinking mommy's stuff, so i'm stocking up. :p

i think the 'juice box' is a brilliant idea, but i'm just waiting for the lawyers to get hold of it. seriously, i'm expecting some weird lawsuit about kids drinking mommy's stuff, so i'm stocking up. :p

Or the fact they aren't very recognizable (mix in well with other beverage packaging).

Or the fact they aren't very recognizable (mix in well with other beverage packaging).

exactly. which is, of course, part of why we like them. :D

Hard to imagine Cole Porter finding inspiration over a chilled box of Sancerre.

Tried the Bandit cabernet last night and was disappointed after such an impressive pinot grigio.

Mrs BamaVol and I did get a chuckle out of the 2002 vintage stamped on the juicebox. Certainly the oldest juice box contents we've ever consumed.

Agreed. Borlotti (?) Merlot is better than most bottles 2 or 3 times the price, and has topped many lists.

De Bortoli makes wine in several different ranges. Some of it is
pretty good. Today for lunch I had a box Merlot from Domaine
Grollet near Angouleme, and it was great with bacon butties.

Tried the Bandit cabernet last night and was disappointed after such an impressive pinot grigio....Just tried the 2005 Bandit pinot grigio and it was awful; the worst wine I've had in years. Lots of cheaper wines are a lot better than that one. I do like the packaging, but their wine is surprisingly poor.

In the US, Kendall-Jackson does a nice box.

There are some good box wines - my last purchase was a fantastic Premier Cru White Burgundy for summertime drinking. Great because 3 Liters of wine could be dispensed over time without oxidizing - one of the great benefits of Box Wine.

More 411 on the name of the white Burgundy, please? Many thanks!

Sorry--question already posed in previous post.

Yesterday someone plopped a box of Alamaden boxed white wine on the counter at a parish luncheon. Hideous is about the best description I can offer...especially at room temperature.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Yesterday someone plopped a box of Alamaden boxed white wine on the counter at a parish luncheon. Hideous is about the best description I can offer...especially at room temperature.
...The easiest way to make poor wine taste better is to chill it. Cold eliminates the more volatile components of the smell, which tend to be the worse features of a wine. It even works for red wine (bad red wine straight from the fridge can be enjoyable sometimes). Works particularly well in Florida.

Almaden is an interesting case study of how brands evolve. Almaden was one of the first box wines in the US (20 years ago? I think it is circa 1985); they had "jug" wines in gallon bottles before then. Used to be quite good for the price. Over time the taste has gotten a lot sweeter and more fruity -- and worse. Seems like a business decision, or response to perceived market demand. They definitely changed the style to be more "soft drink" inspired (taste like Sprite).

Just tried the 2005 Bandit pinot grigio and it was awful; the worst wine I've had in years. Lots of cheaper wines are a lot better than that one. I do like the packaging, but their wine is surprisingly poor.

Well, keep in mind I was using the term impressive more to describe value (@ $6 a liter) than taste, but I cannot say it was the worst I've tasted all month, let alone years. To each his own. Anyone else dare to try it?

OT: I loved their 2004 vintage and raved about it to everyone. The Shiraz was even voted one of best values in the world at less than $4 a bottle in some places. But when I bought several bottles of their 2005 vintage it tasted like...well...cheap wine.

I can't remember what year the Banrock I had. I have tasted several different ones from the box and I was pleasantly suprised!

I agree, box wine has gotten a bad wrap, but I happen to think it tastes the same as those average priced wines that come in bottles. I wonder why, people have a hard time going with the boxed option. I guess we're all used to the bottle and the satisfying feeling of perfectly unscrewing the cork, its part of the experience of enjoying a nice glass of wine. Opening up a box, isn't as gratifying.

[QUOTE=world_citizen] I wonder why, people have a hard time going with the boxed option. QUOTE]


Because some things are just not done.

You must be quite the wine drinker-huh?

Or a James Bond fan. Possibly both. Cheers!

Because some things are just not done.


Grandma, Grandma? Is that you? They told me you were... :eek:

On a more serious note, anyone from Ontario know of any recommendable 'alternative packaging' wines available throught the LCBO?

On a more serious note, anyone from Ontario know of any recommendable 'alternative packaging' wines available throught the LCBO?Peller Estates French Cross is quite good, available in 5 or 6 different varietals/blends. The best is their "Dry Red" which is a soft red which is remarkable for a bulk wine (and cheap, something like CAD 12 for 4L, but I only get to the LCBO a couple of times a year). A great example of how price and quality in wine is only loosely coupled, and some cheap wines can be quite good.

Peller Estates French Cross is quite good, available in 5 or 6 different varietals/blends. The best is their "Dry Red" which is a soft red which is remarkable for a bulk wine (and cheap, something like CAD 12 for 4L, but I only get to the LCBO a couple of times a year). A great example of how price and quality in wine is only loosely coupled, and some cheap wines can be quite good.

Is this stuff sourced from Canadian vineyards or is it one of the "made in Canada" wines where the grapes can (and often do) come from all over the world? Nothing wrong with that at th equivalent of C$2.25/bottle.

OT: I loved their 2004 vintage and raved about it to everyone. The Shiraz was even voted one of best values in the world at less than $4 a bottle in some places. But when I bought several bottles of their 2005 vintage it tasted like...well...cheap wine.

I used to love Banrock Station Shiraz and Cab in boxes in Hong Kong but here in the US their box wines are just drinkable. Don't know why.

Is this stuff sourced from Canadian vineyards or is it one of the "made in Canada" wines where the grapes can (and often do) come from all over the world? Nothing wrong with that at th equivalent of C$2.25/bottle.Peller mostly makes high-end wines (>$10/bottle), and does have their own vineyards in Niagara for those. The box wines are labeled "cellared by" which normally allows 70% non-Ontario wines in the blend, but in 2005 there was an emergency allowance of 99% imported wine due to a shortage of grapes in Ontario. So I'm sure the majority of the wine came from the California central valley grape glut. It is a nice soft red, like a beaujolais (zero aging potential).

I used to love Banrock Station Shiraz and Cab in boxes in Hong Kong but here in the US their box wines are just drinkable. Don't know why.Different wine (deliberately so). I hate this practice by some of the larger companies, using the same brand name and labeling for a deliberately different tasting product. Part of their global brand strategy. The theory is to cater to local tastes but have a global brand. Just tastes different wherever you go.

Different wine (deliberately so). I hate this practice by some of the larger companies, using the same brand name and labeling for a deliberately different tasting product. Part of their global brand strategy. The theory is to cater to local tastes but have a global brand. Just tastes different wherever you go.

It could be that the wines are made in such great volumes that they're made in several different batches and hence taste different. A few years ago, my friend was raving about a Wynns entry-level cabernet sauvignon that he had in Sydney. I managed to acquire a bottle of the same vintage that was purchased in Perth. I tried the wine and was very disappointed. A few weeks later, he returned home to Perth and bought a local bottle and was similarly disappointed. I think he found out that that particular vintage and label were made in at least 4 batches.

I can't remember what year the Banrock I had. I have tasted several different ones from the box and I was pleasantly suprised!

They sell these wines in 1l bottles (advertised as a free 33% more) in B.C. but the bottles I've had are regrettably quite poor in quality.

Peller mostly makes high-end wines (>$10/bottle), and does have their own vineyards in Niagara for those.

Oh, I am quite aware of Peller (which also makes Okanagan wines, or wine with grapes from the Okanagan). I was curious if they make boxed Niagara wines (which isn't really available in B.C.). There is one vineyard in B.C. that sells (or used to sell) Okanagan wines in boxes. They couldn't labelled VQA (vintners quality assurance) as the wines weren't bottled but would be VQA-eligible otherwise.

Oh, I am quite aware of Peller (which also makes Okanagan wines, or wine with grapes from the Okanagan). I was curious if they make boxed Niagara wines (which isn't really available in B.C.). ....They don't box any of their premium wines -- which is a shame. And they only sell their premium wines on the internet (disavow all knowledge of the box wines on the web site). I guess there is still stigma to the box, even in the enlightened markets. This is slowly changing. In NZ I came across a screw-top wine selling for USD 40 per bottle (putting it into the top 0.0001% price range for NZ wines, which are excellent but cheap). In the US it is hard to find any screw-top wines (in bottles, just no cork), and the few that exist are punished in the marketplace.

In NZ I came across a screw-top wine selling for USD 40 per bottle (putting it into the top 0.0001% price range for NZ wines, which are excellent but cheap). In the US it is hard to find any screw-top wines (in bottles, just no cork), and the few that exist are punished in the marketplace.

Didn't some segment of the NZ wine industry mandate a move to screwtop/Stelvin tops (a la Clare Valley/South Australia rieslings)? I bought a couple of Stelvin bottles of Frankland (Western Australia riesling) a few years back and it was the top-rated (by James Halliday) Aussie riesling that year. Maybe not too difficult as riesling is not widely grown in Australia.

I guess the U.S. consumers are too new to wine and not sensitive to cork taint or other cork-related spoilage. It does seem a good many consumers like the ritual of the wine being uncorked.

Screwtops are fortunately becoming quite common with B.C. wines.

...I guess the U.S. consumers are too new to wine and not sensitive to cork taint or other cork-related spoilage. It does seem a good many consumers like the ritual of the wine being uncorked...

raises hand

Guilty as charged. I guess I have too many memories of Thunderbird, Boone's Farm, Spanada, and MD 20/20 being screw-capped to give a really serious wine-maker a shot if they use it.

But, I'm willing to try one out to expand my horizons. :D

Any specific recommendations?

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Tin Roof Wines make several with screw-cap (maybe all their wines are packaged this way?). Their Sauvignon Blanc from Napa is pretty good (not Montana/Brancott good, but those don't come in a screw-cap). However Tin Roof wines are in the USD 10 per bottle range. That might be the easiest to find in the US, and worth drinking if you do find it.

As far as boxed wines go, I like the "Three Thieves" brand from California. ^

I find their boxes are easier to place in a cooler or backpack for picnics and hiking trips.

Enjoy!

In NZ I came across a screw-top wine selling for USD 40 per bottle (putting it into the top 0.0001% price range for NZ wines, which are excellent but cheap). In the US it is hard to find any screw-top wines (in bottles, just no cork), and the few that exist are punished in the marketplace.

I buy NZ screw-top wines in the US all the time at price points that aren't that cheap. ??

I buy NZ screw-top wines in the US all the time at price points that aren't that cheap. ??

Had my first NZ wine this week - a 2005 Pinot Noir from Oyster Bay. I was a little surprised to find a $20 screw top wine, but it was good enough that I could get used to it.

Had my first NZ wine this week - a 2005 Pinot Noir from Oyster Bay. I was a little surprised to find a $20 screw top wine, but it was good enough that I could get used to it.Best price-performance amongst NZ imports is Montana, sold in the US as Brancott. Also no longer a screw-top in the US (and screw-top in NZ). They seem to have decided that a cork was needed to boost their sales. Even though Montana is famous for their Sauvignon Blanc (and rightly so), the best of their US imports is the Brancott Chardonnay (and a nice contrast to California chards).

Last week my friend Ian took me to Vinomania, which calls itself "the
first location in France dedicated to bib wines" - we tasted over a
dozen wines, several of which I thought worthy of buying. The
folks behind the operation negotiate with some pretty decent
makers to make wines according to their bag-in-box specifications
(assuring that the wines will be stable for at least 4 months after
opening); they have a line called "Selection verre apres verre,"
about which you can read at www.vinomania-brive.fr - it's an
interesting concept, and what you lose with aging ability and the
mystique of the bottle with a cork you gain with reliability and the
chance to keep several types of wine going at a time.

Had my first NZ wine this week - a 2005 Pinot Noir from Oyster Bay. I was a little surprised to find a $20 screw top wine, but it was good enough that I could get used to it.

They´re just saving cork...there are plenty of great screw tops out there!

They´re just saving cork...there are plenty of great screw tops out there!

At the risk of driving this thread further OT from the box category, I second the comment above.

Check out the "Twin Fin" varietals from California.
Good, inexpensively priced reds and whites and not a single cork in sight anywhere.^

so, i'm wondering if anyone's target still has the boxed wine in juice boxes? ours is out and has been for a few weeks (i check every time i'm in there) and they've now put some of the regular wine boxes in that spot.

i'm hoping that it's just that so many people have discovered them that they're temporarily sold out; not that my prediction about lawsuits and eventual pulling of the product have come to pass.

anyone?

not sure anyone is as enamored of these wine juiceboxes as i am, but thought i'd give an update anyway...turns out any remaining product was pulled from the shelves and destroyed. still haven't learned yet why, but i'm guessing we won't be seeing those nifty little boxes at target again in the near (or far) future. :(

not sure anyone is as enamored of these wine juiceboxes as i am, but thought i'd give an update anyway...turns out any remaining product was pulled from the shelves and destroyed. still haven't learned yet why, but i'm guessing we won't be seeing those nifty little boxes at target again in the near (or far) future. :(
Aww... :(

not sure anyone is as enamored of these wine juiceboxes as i am, but thought i'd give an update anyway...turns out any remaining product was pulled from the shelves and destroyed. still haven't learned yet why, but i'm guessing we won't be seeing those nifty little boxes at target again in the near (or far) future. :(

Sued by Hi C?

I'm far from a wine aficionado, but isn't just a rule that the only good wine is the one YOU like?

not sure anyone is as enamored of these wine juiceboxes as i am, but thought i'd give an update anyway...turns out any remaining product was pulled from the shelves and destroyed. still haven't learned yet why, but i'm guessing we won't be seeing those nifty little boxes at target again in the near (or far) future. :(

I'm not surprised it was pulled...last week, I drank a 1.5L box of the Cab-Shiraz and felt awfully sick the next day :mad:

Must have been something wrong with the wine

:D