If you want to try box wine, here are the ones to get and which to avoid, according to Metro’s drinks editor (Picture: GETTY)
Back in the day, my parents exclusively drank box wine, and still do.
I guess it’s the quantity aspect that is so alluring to many. Plus, the idea of pushing a tap with your glass underneath after a busy day feels heaven-sent, versus wrestling one of those horrendous corkscrews with the metal arms that rise upwards, which you then have to push downwards. Talk about singing for your supper.
And, whereas once the wine inside the box could accurately be described as ‘bad-in-box’, nowadays the quality has gone skyward like Eddie the Eagle on the ski jump of quality. It’s no wonder then that there’s recently been a surge in demand for a packaging format that was once reserved for penny-pinching students and insufferable festival goers. I can say that, I’m one of the latter.
It was Waitrose, of all people, who recently reported that this year, sales of their boxed wine range increased by 18%, 11% last year and 9% the year before. So, let’s take looksee at the benefits of the box vs the bottle. It’s convenient, portable, decent value for money and has a lower carbon footprint as it is 86% lighter than bottle. Boxed wine can keep up to 6-8 weeks after opening compared to 2-3 days for a bottle. There’s no corkscrew wrestling and you can keep them as a permanent fixture in your fridge, no matter what the colour.
So far, so convincing. But what’s not common knowledge is the difference in flavour between the same wine in bottle vs bag in box. It’s called ‘the headspace bubble’, the air space that remains after filling them. In bottle, it’s minimal, but in a bag, it’s not insignificant. The headspace bubble stays the same no matter the size of the bag, so bigger really is better in the bag-in-box world.
So, without the addition of sulphur dioxide, bag-in-box wine would quicky lose its freshness and oxidate, all thanks to the headspace bubble. Therefore, you’ll typically find elevated levels of the dreaded sulphites in bag in box wines. It’s a balancing act for producers, as too much sulphur dioxide will make the wine taste tarter, harsher and less appealing.
With that in mind, it’s time for tasting. Here are some of the best and worst boxed specimens the supermarkets have to offer.
White
This one is very Zesty (Picture: Tesco)
Wine Route Trebbiano Pinot Grigio 2.25L, Italy, £14.50 Tesco
Very zesty, mouthwatering with lifted blossomy notes and some pleasant saline notes.
Score: 6.2/10
A solid option, scoring 6/5/10 (Picture: Waitrose)
Waitrose Crisp & Floral Italian White, £16.49
Dry and citrussy, creamy, approachable with notes of lime blossom, peach and lemongrass.
Score: 6.5/10
This wine reminded me of sherbet (Picture: Tesco)
Wine Route Zesty White 3L, Spain, £17, Tesco
Barely there on the nose with a pleasantly floral palate dominated by elderflower notes, some good fruit intensity and a sherbet-like finish.
Score: 6.8/10
Notes of marmalade and …read more
Source:: Metro
