Any box wines to reccomend?

[Jenise]

For next month's neighborhood wine tasting we're doing Box Wines. Going to offer over a dozen wines for "only 12 measly bucks", decorate the Clubhouse like a hobo encampment, and our playlist will include songs like King of the Road, Friends in Low Places, Red Solo Cup, and Fake I.D.

You get the gist.

So if you've had any box wines, what has impressed you (within the limitations it can, of course)?

I have been on a quest for Lapierre's Raisins Gauloises, which apparently is available in TetraPak. Supposedly in Australia there is good "cask wine" but I've not had the chance to look for it.

In terms of actual candidates that you might find on the shelf, Bota Box and Rex Goliath 47-Pound Rooster are drinkable. It's a tough segment. I mean, Franzia Sangria is a very consistent product, and if you like pre-bottled sangria, which I do from time to time, it won't suffer from being in a bag-in-box. But the quality just isn't there.

[Robin Garr]

See the TN I just posted in Wine Focus - Italy. Not bag-in-box but the best wine I've ever had in TetraPak, a very decent Tuscan Sangiovese at $15 for a liter.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=57558&p=457030#p457029

No. Doubly no.

I've enjoyed the Tetrapak wine Robin references- Monte Bernardi "off Road" (I think in year I had it actually was labelled Chianti, but I could be wrong). They also had a Grillo that was similar quality- good, clean, and a good choice to fill out a case at CSW.
Best BiB I've had was Brocard " Kimmeridgien" Bourgogne blanc several years ago, they also made a Jurassique but I don't think I tried that one. But recently only seen those in bottle.
I'm usually a fan of the Lapierre Raisins Gaulois but not seen in tetrapak in my market.
I think for wine you want to drink within year or so of release it makes environmental and economic sense, and I'd happily buy daily drinkers from quality producers.

There is a wine called LAB from Carlos Santos Lima (Tejo region of Portugal) that comes in a 3L bag-in-box for under $20. It isn't bad, I think it would stack up well with some of the other BIB offerings. There are some others from Portugal but I have a feeling LAB might be one with decent distribution.

We have plenty of boxes available in Sweden. Here are a couple I tend to go to if I need something reliable:
* Barone Ricasoli Formulae
* Lindeman´s Bin 45 Cabernet Sauvignon
* Cigarra Reserva Shiraz Touriga Nacional
* Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin
* Periquita Reserva
* Inycon Chardonnay Pinot Grigio

And of course all boxes from Brocard, earlier mentioned!

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

[David M. Bueker]

We have plenty of boxes available in Sweden.

Maybe that's what Trump was talking about.

We have plenty of boxes available in Sweden.

Maybe that's what Trump was talking about.

Trump is a teetotaler, so I wouldn't take his word. Come to think, I wouldn't take his word on anything.

[Robin Garr]

Trump is a teetotaler

Does that term apply only to alcohol, or does cocaine count?

Big House's Prohibition Red and Bootlegger White. Which are actually good enough that I'm not above buying some when they're on clearance. They no longer have the blend information on their website, but they are rather fascinating kitchen sink blends with some somewhat more off-beat varieties. As in some vintages of the red used to have (when they still made the information public) things like Tannat, Aglianico, and Touriga.

[Jenise]

Big House's Prohibition Red and Bootlegger White. Which are actually good enough that I'm not above buying some when they're on clearance. They no longer have the blend information on their website, but they are rather fascinating kitchen sink blends with some somewhat more off-beat varieties. As in some vintages of the red used to have (when they still made the information public) things like Tannat, Aglianico, and Touriga.

I've definitely ID'd the Big House red in my area. I've seen no Brocards (must look harder) and just a few Aussies but I don't remember what. None of the names stuck with me but for the Big House as I remember when that was a Bonny Doon wine (and in a bottle).

Reverse Wine Snob website (Jon Thorsen) has exhaustively researched/tasted lists on all sorts of inexpensive wines and QPRs.

Here's the box wine: http://www.reversewinesnob.com/search/label/box-wine/

He also has a CostCo, a TraderJoe, an Under $20, etc., etc.

My choices that might be available?

Esporao Alandra red and white-Portugal.

La Vielle Ferme Rouge (white just okay).

Vino Borgia Garnacha, from Spain. Really light but not bad wine.

There was recently a very tasty tempranillo from Rioja in New Seasons, around $22 a box, I think, Can't for the life of me remember the name though.

I vaguely remember the Grand Veneur CdR as being definitely Rhonish, but that was quite a while ago.

[Jenise]

Thanks everyone for your input. Hoke, that website you mentioned--just what I needed, thanks!

So yesterday I was in town and had not planned box wine shopping, but an errand was a stop at our local Food Co-op to take advantage of getting $15 off EVERYTHING (yeah, including alcohol!) before the close of February. We have two Co-ops and the wine stewards at each are wine tasting friends whose palates and choices of what to put on the shelf I generally trust. They don't buy it for their store if they don't like it. I did not remember either having box wines but lo and behold there were a few, so I bought some to try which was risky, since at a per-liter price they're cheap but three liter containers of something you don't like will run an average of $30 and that's not chump change if you're trying four or five.

We tried them all last night. Here's what we thought:

French Rabbit 2014 Chardonnay: super fruity and ripe, almost tropical. Would be popular even if I don't care for it.

French Rabbit 2014 Pinot Noir: It's has inarguable pinot noir character but is pretty simple. Wouldn't be dead last in voting but won't get any first place votes. Meh.

VRAC French Red Wine: Yup, it's red wine allright. Medium+ body, all red fruit, Cotes du Rhonish but speaks to no grape variety in particular. Very dry, almost too dry. Okay, but wouldn't be popular with my tasters.

Powers 2014 Cab Sauv, WA state: dark purple color, good varietal character, low oak treatment. First taste was a glimpse of a First Place wine at my tasting, but tannins took over on a second pour. On a normal wine you could cork it and drink tomorrow, but this? That bladder bag means you're not going to get much 'bottle' improvement, are you?

And then there's this one, an Italian that I hoped would be the wine Dale and Robin mentioned. It's not, but I got lucky because it's DAMNED GOOD. I mean not just 'decent' with any qualifier about price or container size, but DAMNED GOOD WINE period. Perfect body for the grape, flavorful and balanced. Only 12.5% alcohol too. So good that I'm going to go back and buy the other box left to take on our next camping trip. It's the 2015 Cantine Povero Barbera.

Jenise, interesting that the one you liked was a Barbera. I was in Piedmont several years ago and hired a local food and wine writer to take us around to some wineries. At one he bought an enormous BIB of Barbera. Must have been the equivalent of at least a case. He said it was excellent and his family would go through it in two weeks.

This is a real frustration of mine. I think BIB is an excellent format for wine, particularly those of us who just want a glass from time to time. I'm hoping that we start getting some very good wines available that way, similar to the way we finally got good wines with a screw cap. If Italy can do it, why can't we?

[Jenise]

If Italy can do it, why can't we?

I hear you. Btw, had another couple over for dinner on Thursday night. They know a good wine when they taste it but typically spend less for their daily drinkers than I do since they're million-milers and almost constantly flying somewhere. At home they seem to drink more Argentine wines than anything else and I was afraid their palates would be more New World oriented. But no question, they too didn't just prefer the Barbera, they liked it so much they asked me to pick up a box for them.

I use this one as cooking wine. Comes in a box that looks like a radio....

http://www.bcliquorstores.com/product/509570

Ken: I apologize for thread drift.. Just wanted to say I had a terrific visit with your old friend Charles Massoud and his wines are as terrific as ever.. ..

[Jenise]

I use this one as cooking wine. Comes in a box that looks like a radio....

http://www.bcliquorstores.com/product/509570

Cooking wine? Is that a recommendation or a warning?

It's something the sous chef can have a glass of without choking when the chef has been to hard on her!

It's quite palatable and works well for cooking.

When I retired, my financial adviser asked me what my lifestyle goals were. I told him I didn't want ever to have to drink cask wine. So far, so good. I have no idea which box wines are good drinking these days, and intend to keep it that way.

[Jenise]

It's something the sous chef can have a glass of without choking when the chef has been to hard on her!

It's quite palatable and works well for cooking.

I have so many Canadians in my group, it would be fun to include something available there, but not here (I haven't seen it).

[Jenise]

When I retired, my financial adviser asked me what my lifestyle goals were. I told him I didn't want ever to have to drink cask wine. So far, so good. I have no idea which box wines are good drinking these days, and intend to keep it that way.

I hear you! And I haven't tasted anything yet that even starts to threaten my interest in and commitment to premium wine.