wine in the box

[plumeria]

Ok you wine snobs, hold your horses!! Did you know most wine from other countries are shipped in plastic bags and then bottled in US and did you know the high end wineries are starting to use twist top to prevent spoilage!!!

 

Well My honey asked me to find this wine http://www.blackboxwines.com/ so I bought the Merlot, the box hold 4 bottles it cost $25 not bad, the box was much smaller than I thought it would be, my honey thought it was very good much better than he expected, now we are going to try the Chardonnay for me. (I will let you know if it is good also) we are both from Sonoma County Ca and we have lived around good wine all our adult life so I feel we are good judges. But try it yourself the website says it is sold in all 50 states

 

Plumeria

 

Well if the Chardonnay is good we are going to bring a few boxes on our cruise, two boxes would be 8 bottles, just put it in luggage

[firstplacechef]

I just took a week-long class on the elements of food and wine. The instructor says we have to get over it with the cork issue and stated what you said above. We sampled many many wines over the week, some in the bottle, some with screwtops, some in the box. Several were the same wine in all three stages. Guess what, no onr could tell the difference. He also stated that the boxed wine would last longer and stay "fresher" longer due to no air spoiling the wine.

 

Bottom line....for your everyday value added wines this may be the way to go.

[CaptainG]

Both Banrock Station and Hardy's which are two quality vinyards in Australia sell their wine in boxes.

 

Good wine and great for someone who doesn't want to be pressed to finish a bottle before it goes bad.

 

CaptainG

[mjmagee]

Hmmmm! Makes me wonder how the cruise lines will deal with a corkage fee if you hand them a box that is equivalent to 4 or 8 bottles! Marilyn

[Karynanne]

We've tried the Blackbox wines....not bad at all! They sure do keep well. The times they are a changin....

[Ekaj]

While I agree that there may be some merit to the "screw top cap", and some convenience to "wine in a box", I still think there's nothing like pulling a cork and pouring wine out of a beautiful glass wine bottle. :) This has been done for centuries, and I just don't see the romance in pulling out your wine box at a nice dinner party and filling everyone's glasses. Just my opinion, but someone had to stick up for glass wine bottles! ;)

 

Also, wine may be shipped in plastic bags, but to store it for years in plastic bags seems like a bad idea to me. Plastic does have certain toxins that can leach into liquid over time, so I certainly wouldn't want to "age" any wine in a box. In that sense, glass wine bottles do have a very specific purpose.

 

::stepping gently off soapbox, in search of my corkscrew and a nice bottle...::

[tuggers]

I, too, like to take a boxed wine for use in my cabin. I like the size of the Hardy's boxes. A box of Merlot and a Chardonay and I'm ready for guests. They fit in the emptied frig for the white and pack nicely in suitcases leaving extra space on the way home. And the Cabin Stewards always love what leftover.

 

 

As to the charge, passengers taking wine to the dining room with a screw cap will pay a 'screwage' fee equal to the corkage fee. Passengers bringing boxed wine to the dining room will not be charged but will be looked at, talked about and generally considered part of the intertainment. JoAn, are you ready for our next trip?

[tuggers]

I, too, like to take a boxed wine for use in my cabin. I like the size of the Hardy's boxes. A box of Merlot and a Chardonnay and I'm ready for guests. The white fits in the emptied frig. Two pack nicely in suitcases leaving extra space on the way home. The Cabin Stewards always love what's leftover.

 

 

As to the charge, passengers taking wine to the dining room with a screw cap will pay a 'screwage' fee equal to the corkage fee. Passengers bringing boxed wine to the dining room will not be charged but will be looked at, talked about and generally considered part of the entertainment. JoAn, are you ready for our next trip?

[nu2sea]

As to the charge, passengers taking wine to the dining room with a screw cap will pay a 'screwage' fee equal to the corkage fee. Passengers bringing boxed wine to the dining room will not be charged but will be looked at, talked about and generally considered part of the entertainment. JoAn, are you ready for our next trip?

 

A "screwage" fee? Yes indeed, that could be entertaining!

[nu2sea]

While I agree that there may be some merit to the "screw top cap", and some convenience to "wine in a box", I still think there's nothing like pulling a cork and pouring wine out of a beautiful glass wine bottle. :) This has been done for centuries, and I just don't see the romance in pulling out your wine box at a nice dinner party and filling everyone's glasses. Just my opinion, but someone had to stick up for glass wine bottles! ;)

 

Also, wine may be shipped in plastic bags, but to store it for years in plastic bags seems like a bad idea to me. Plastic does have certain toxins that can leach into liquid over time, so I certainly wouldn't want to "age" any wine in a box. In that sense, glass wine bottles do have a very specific purpose.

 

::stepping gently off soapbox, in search of my corkscrew and a nice bottle...::

 

I remember, from my younger wine filled days, that a fine red wine was often decanted into a bottle or "decanter" for table service at home. You could still do that from a box which would also allow it to breathe.

[Ekaj]

Yes, I am well aware of the method for decanting red wine. No wine snob worth their salt wouldn't! ;) However, I still don't relish the idea of boxed wines, no matter how nice the container into which it is decanted. That's just me. :D

[tuggers]

I for one am not talking fine wine. I have had my share of that. And while I love it, I wish we could get more like the Europeans and appreciate good table wine on a regular basis. It seems that everyone these days thinks if it's not 'fine' wine, it's not worth drinking. And that's just not true. There is plenty of wine that is pleasing to the palate and inhances a meal, but is still just table wine.

 

One thing I enjoyed on the Opera was that they have pitchers of house wine. It was Italian table wine and was a pleasant addition to lunch or dinner without having to have a so called fine wine or nothing at all.

 

I will now step off my . Wish there was one without the bad words!

LOL!

[bookme2]

Wine Bloc is made by the Kendall-Jackson people, Very good Merlot and Chardonnay in a very easy to carry 1.5 liter

[triciaa]

ok, ok, I know I'm cheap. But what about bringing 2 glasses of your "boxed wine" into the dining room? It looks like you bought it at the bar, but you poured it from your room and brought it into the dining room. Is that bad?

[nu2sea]

ok, ok, I know I'm cheap. But what about bringing 2 glasses of your "boxed wine" into the dining room? It looks like you bought it at the bar, but you poured it from your room and brought it into the dining room. Is that bad?

Yes.

[Ekaj]

Tuggers, I have nothing against good table wine. :) I spent awhile living in France, and you're right, they do know about table wines. That said, the "table wines" in Europe are often much better than our inexpensive, so-called 'table wines" here in the States. Either way, my husband and I drink a lot of inexpensive wine, as well as finer wines. My comments were only in regard to the packaging. I simply think that there is no "romance" in boxed wine. It's kind of like when Coca-Cola quit packaging soda in those wonderful glass bottles. I just hope we don't see the same thing happen to wine, although I have a feeling that there's really nothing to worry about. ;)

[dakrewser]

...My comments were only in regard to the packaging. I simply think that there is no "romance" in boxed wine. It's kind of like when Coca-Cola quit packaging soda in those wonderful glass bottles. I just hope we don't see the same thing happen to wine, although I have a feeling that there's really nothing to worry about. ;)

 

I have this vivid memory of going into a wine shop in Cosne-sur-Loire in France and seeing what looked for all the world to be old fashioned gas pumps but were, in fact, wine storage. You brought in your 5 liter jug and they pumped out some vin rouge or vin blanc or perhaps a (for an extra franc or two) a Rully or Minervois.

 

We do have similar wines here, just usually not in a box, mores the pity. Not every liter of wine needs a romantic setting...

[geoherb]

We brought along a box of wine for in-cabin consumption on the Century. No one other than our cabin steward knew we were drinking boxed wine in our cabin. We still purchased wine at dinner and paid the corkage for the few bottles we brought along.

[Ekaj]

We do have similar wines here, just usually not in a box, mores the pity. Not every liter of wine needs a romantic setting...

 

*Sigh* Alright, one last time. I wasn't referring to romance in the traditional sense, as in having a romantic dinner with a special someone. I was referring to romance as in sense of "Old World", sense of style, sense of Cary-Grant-in-a-classic-movie. I thought I was pretty clear about it; I even wrote the analogy of the Coca-Cola bottles, but oh well.

 

I'm sure there are plenty of good wineries out there that have begun to package their product in boxes, for the sake of those who like that kind of packaging. I'm just saying that I always have, and always will, love glass wine bottles, and love pulling out a cork, and I hope that they'll stick around. I'm just surprised that no one else on the thread appears to feel the same way.

[dakrewser]

I don't find any nostalgia in pulling a cork, though. And we've enough carafes and decanters so that we never need put the box on the table :eek:

 

Now, if it's a bottle that's thrown some sediment, then I do summon up some panache to uncork it, light a candle, get my white towel and properly decant it. But that's happening less and less these days as the great old bottles in the cellar are drunk up and we don't replace them. Darned if I'll stock a cellar just so my kids can drink well! :rolleyes:

[Ekaj]

IDarned if I'll stock a cellar just so my kids can drink well! :rolleyes:

 

Now THAT'S funny, LOL! And I don't blame you a bit...;)

[DaisyL]

Wine Bloc is made by the Kendall-Jackson people, Very good Merlot and Chardonnay in a very easy to carry 1.5 liter

That sounds good !! I already love the Black Box brand of Merlot.. time to give this a try.

I read a very good review of box wines on MSNBC a while back (the wine critic)... they recommended a few different types.

I do have my specialty wines stored for special occasions but it's fun to drink decent wine at a very decent price every night without worrying about spending a fortune. I don't know many people who can afford $8-10 a bottle (cheap wine prices) every day (or two) ... :rolleyes:

I have never brought wine onto a cruise and always bought it from room service and in the dining room. Maybe I'll try the 1.5 liter box for the cabin next time ... Our TA always sends a bottle or two of champagne but only DH drinks it, I like my reds and it doesn't give me a headache....;)

[JulieMac]

Ekaj, you're not alone! I agree with you wholeheartedly. Frankly, I'm a wine snob and not ashamed of it. There's nothing wrong with box wine. If there's a market for it, then let others enjoy it. Personally, I prefer drinking wine from wineries I have personally visited. These are not mass market wines, imported from who-knows-where. They are handcrafted wines by small boutique wineries. Buying it from the source gives the experience much more meaning for me. There are good cheap wines, but I don't drink wine everyday. So when I do decide to crack open a bottle, I want it to be something really good and worthwhile. I'm planning on bringing a few of my favorites on my Mercury cruise next summer.

 

JulieMac

[dakrewser]

Personally, I prefer drinking wine from wineries I have personally visited.

 

That really limits your choices, doesn't it?

 

 

These are not mass market wines, imported from who-knows-where.

 

All wine sold in the US must tell you, as specifically as possible, where the wine comes from. THere's no guesswork involved! :rolleyes:

[Ekaj]

That really limits your choices, doesn't it?

 

Are you serious? I would say it's the other way around. The choices in a grocery store, or even a specialty wine store, are incredibly limited compared to the literally thousands of wineries located just in the United States alone. LOL, Dave, do you ever agree with anyone, or is it just against your nature? ;)