Make your Everyday Wine a Box Wine; No One has to Know!

Curiously, box wine has seemed to come back in vogue. Since Tim Fish, Senior editor at Wine Spectator, gave Bota Box (box wine) an 84 rating in 2011, consuming box wine is no longer faux pas - in our household at least. Box wine, once considered the 'seedy niche' of the wine business, has definitely gone through a brow-raising transformation. With Bota Box, you may be tempted to hold it back from your drunk aunt when she visits. It's that good.

Let the top wines in your collection age to perfection. Lean on Bota Box for your everyday wine.

If you haven't experienced the 'box-wine' twist on wine packaging, the concept is like this... when wine is readied for retail sale, it's first placed in a vacuum-sealed bladder having a plastic tap on one end. Then the bladder is set inside a cardboard box that allows its dispenser tap to stick out of one end. As wine pours out of the tap, the integrity of the vacuum within the bag is maintained; no air enters the bag, and the bag collapses within the box. The primary advantage to this packaging is that wine is never exposed oxygen, thus not subject to oxidation, until it's poured into a glass. Wine stored in this type of packaging can be stored for weeks after opening.

The Bota Box Tasting

Of the top three box wine brands, Bota Box, French Rabbit and From the Tank, Laurie and I recently discovered what the 'box-wine-hubbub' is all about. The other night we took the opportunity to clear out an entire Bota Box the other night with some friends.

Bota Box retails at $19 for a 3-liter box (equivalent to the volume of four bottles) in a package that takes up less counter space than two wine bottles. Yes, that's a bargain; but I know you're asking, how's the wine?

Old Vine Zinfandel received 88pts from Wine Enthusiast Magazine and 84pts from Tim Fish at Wine Spectator.

For our first foray with box wines, we tried the Bota Box 2011 Old Vine Zinfandel (not to be confused with the Zinfandel). "A box wine with a non-blind 84pt rating? ...Really?!", was my initial thought. My gut has always told me not to completely trust non-blind ratings; so, I've regularly considered non-blind ratings as marketing gimmickry. Upon my first Bota tasting, I anticipated a jammy tin wine with the flamboyance of a cheap polyester suit. However, what I found was a wine that cut right through my doubt. It was a pleasant surprise.

Bota Box is a worthwhile everyday wine. Bota's website describes Old Vine Zin as having the flavors of black cherry, blackberry, red currant and oak. How would I describe the entanglement of flavors on my palette? What stood out for me was a thin ribbon of sweet wrapped around a large spiced oak, with fruit-forward black cherry. The sweet in this wine was subtle enough it didn't interfere with the savory small plates we all were poppin' that evening; and, it also complimented the vegan chocolate cake our guests brought.

Practical Points about Bota Box

This wine is a blend... 77% Zinfandel, mixed with Alicante Bouschet and Petite Sirah. All of the grapes (except the Pinot Noir) have a Central Valley, California origin. Although it was aged in stainless steel tanks, real American and French oak staves lined the barrels to provide an oak flavor.

The Old Vine Zinfandel would be nicely paired with dishes having the primary flavors of garlic, rosemary, pork, chicken, beef, blue cheese, and medium and dark chocolate. Since it's always a disappointment to open a $30+ wine and have to re-cork the unfinished bottle, this Bota Box is now on our preferred weekday wine list and cooking wine list.

If You give Bota Box a Whirl...

Bota Box offers different flavors: Chardonnay, Moscato, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Old Vine Zinfandel, Zinfandel and RedVolution (a red blend). Over the last few months, Laurie and I have tasted a few of these wines. So far, our favorites, from most to least, are as follows...

• Old Vine Zinfandel

• Malbec

• Shiraz

• Pinot Grigio

One Final Note

Keep in mind, the bladder wine casks inside the box are not intended for cellaring. Unlike glass wine bottles, oxygen will slowly transmit through the plastic bladder film and tap, so I recommend consuming the wine by the 'Best-before' date. I wouldn't foresee that as a potential problem in my household, but it may be something to consider for your abode.

Good drinking!