Wino Wednesday: Yes, I drink box wine

Go ahead, laugh. Laugh all you want. While you are laughing, I’ll be drinking this wicked old vine zinfandel that comes in a box.

Yeah, I drink box wine and I like it. Of course, box wine has come a long way since the 80’s when all you could get was sickening sweet Franzia white zin and the occasional metallic Chardonnay.

The fact is, wine that is packaged in these sealed bags within the confines of their cardboard shells last much longer (up to six weeks) than bottled wine because they are not not subject to cork taint or spoilage. Yes, I said taint. I’m giggling, too.

But in all honesty, I have a hard time finishing a bottle before it spoils these days. Getting three bottles in one spoil-proof package is a pretty sweet thing. The best part is that the wine is actually good. So far, my favorite is anything by Bota Box, but mostly the Old Vine Zinfandel. At 94 points, this smooth zin ranks right up there with some of the best. And at around $18 per 3 liter box, it’s not a shabby deal either.

It’s not as robust as say, a Frank Family Vineyards zin, but at less than half the cost for three bottles worth, it’s pretty close. I like it because it’s easy to drink, has a lot of blackberry and soft oak flavors with a smooth finish. It goes well with a good steak, a nice brie and even pizza like I had tonight. I find it at Kroger here in Houston so you shouldn’t have a problem finding it in your area.

Perhaps even better than the price, and great for all you tree-huggers, is that it’s environmentally friendly. According to their website, Bota’s wines are packaged in “100% recyclable, unbleached, post-consumer fiber printed with soy-based inks.”

Don’t fear the box. Check one out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Cheers!