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

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

Must have been something wrong with the wine

Any updates on this? I'm in the market for a quaffable boxed wine.

I've tried the "Black Box Cabernet" from my grocery store (it was that or Franzia). It was OK I suppose...kind of like what I'd expect from a generic bottle that just was labeled "Wine". What other boxed wines (red or white) do people recommend?

When I'm drinking good wine, I tend to prefer pinot noir. But I'm open to new things now!

Oh, and I live in Chicago, so I'm looking for something I could buy here, at the grocery store, Target, or Binny's preferably.

Was served Black Box recently in a restaurant, when I inquired what the house wine was. I was underwhelmed.

Mrs BV has me buy the octagonal box of Pinot Evil. I think it's rather bland, but so are most cheap Pinot Noirs. I suppose bland is way better than harsh. I pay around $20 for 3L.

I just got back from Binny's, where the wine guy very unjudgmentally pointed me to the Cuvee de Pena. It's one of the more expensive boxed wines ($30 for 3 liters) but it's rather nice for a boxed wine.

It's a French vin de pays, a blend of Grenache, Carignan, Syrah and Mourvedre. So far, I'm liking it quite a lot for what it is.

http://manoavino.typepad.com/mano_a_...-de-pena-.html

Back in May, Wine Spectator had an article about a research study done by the Australian Wine Research Institute on wine closures and aging. The study indicated that screw-caps were the most reliable and the wines aged in a more predictable fashion. They also resisted oxidation the most. The wine they tested was 1999 Clare S�millon.

They only tested whites and it was only for 10 years, I'm not sure if the study is ongoing for another decade or not. As far as synthetic corks are concerned, I tend to favor the Supreme Corq. Wines in my collection that use it seem to age a little better than the other synthetic corks.

I haven't thought of buying any boxed wines and storing them in the refrigerator to use with cooking, that's a good idea. ^

Since I'm back in schol and on schoolboy's budget, I reluctantly switched to box wine on a good friend's (and wine purveyor's) rec.

I've gone through a few boxes of the Bota Malbec. I can say this - I don't hate it. When I get it on sale for ~$15/box, it's something I can afford and lasts me weeks at a glass or two a night, if that. They typically don't say where the grapes are from, but I'm pretty sure it's Cali.

I plan to try a few others they make.

Really? Been to Cali a few times - there's really no wine industry there, and especially nothing that would be exported to the U.S.

How did you know I meant Caledonia? After all, it is French...

I always keep a box of what I call CRW in the pantry - Cheap Red Wine.

Has anyone tried Hardy's riesling? I keep passing the bright green 3L box at the liquor store, and I'm getting ready to breakdown and try it.

A pretty good white wine is the Black Box pinot grigio.

One of the best box wines I've tasted is Verdhello by Di Bertolli; costs AUD 4/l and comparable to $10/bottle wines. Hard to find (limited distribution in Oz and not exported). In the US "two buck chuck" dominates box wines (a shame as I prefer the airless enclosure, but TJ knows its market).

What?

It's all a matter of personal taste, but for me Peter Vella Chard works for an everyday wine. Similar to two buck chuck, it's a bit inconsistent, but never terrible, and sometimes pretty good.

We haven't found a reliable red wine in a box, but the Livingston Chianti in the 1.5L bottles is pretty good.