Below is the list of wines they selected, along with their tasting notes. Let us know if you agree with their selection or tell us your top boxed wine pick!

Reds:

2009 Alandra Alentejo Red: A rustic, country red from Portugal’s Herdade do Esporão with moderate tannins and plenty of red fruit. Try it with grilled and roasted pork or oily fish like sardines. (Importer: HCG Imports)

2009 Big House Cardinal Zin Beastly Old Vines California Zinfandel: A dialed-down style that has balanced berry fruit, is nicely made and is still big enough to accompany barbecue and sausages. The favorite of the Big House lineup.

2009 Black Box Wines Central Coast Shiraz: Black Box was an early entry into premium boxed wines nearly a decade ago. Give the bold berry flavors and hint of gaminess a slight chill – especially if it’s a hot day.
 http://www.aboutboxedwine.com/wine/black-box-central-coast-shiraz 

2008 Powers Washington Cabernet Sauvignon: The most varietal and well-structured Cabernet of those tasted.

Whites

2010 Duca del Frassino Venezie IGT Garganega-Pinot Grigio: A Soave-like wine with depth, breadth and a slight amaro-bitter almond note on the finish. Or try the 2010 Duca del Frassino Venezie IGT Durello-Chardonnay ($19, 12%) with simple grilled chicken or white-fleshed fish.
http://www.aboutboxedwine.com/wine/duca-del-frassino-garganega-pinot-grigio

2010 La Petite Frog Coteaux du Languedoc Picpoul de Pinet: If your palate prefers leaner wine, you’ll enjoy this white from southern France, with its zippy citrus and mineral hints. (Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils)

2009 R. Muller Landwein Rhein Riesling: The German category of Landwein (country wine) falls between tafelwein (table wine) and the QbA designations. Apricot and lichee; lighter-bodied and relatively sweet, but still considered off-dry.

2010 Trinchero Family Estates Wine Cube California Sauvignon Blanc: Slightly grassy and very varietal, with bright lemon and lime peel, stone fruit aromas and flavors. A terrific option for your go-to summer white, while the 2009 Wine Cube Pinot Noir ($17, 13.5%) is a perfect red for salmon.

Read the full article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/01/FD3K1K4NQJ.DTL#ixzz1REsOYkjL

How good IS boxed wine? Would you give up a romantic caribbean rendezvous with Mr. Right to clink glasses with Mr. Right Now if he had some tasty boxed wine? You just might!

Never underestimate the power of well-made wine in a convenient package! 

Learn more about boxed wine on our FAQ page or at our YouTube Channel

If you’re a boxed wine fan, please share this video it on Facebook, Twitter or email it to your friends.

Like this video?

Check out our other one to see how boxed wine could help you escape a deserted island! http://www.aboutboxedwine.com/blog/saved-by-boxed-wine-video/

In a large sauce pan, combine

• 4 cups of apple cider
• 5 cups of red wine, (Cabernet Sauvignon is recommended)

For great cabernet sauvignon that comes in a box, check out www.aboutboxedwine.com/category/wine/varietals/cabernet-sauvignon

• ¼ cup of Honey
• 4 Cloves
• 3 Star of Anise
• 2 Sticks of Cinnamon
• 1 Orange-Juiced

Let simmer for 10 minutes.

Before serving, place a piece of orange zest in each glass and strain wine with colander to remove cloves, star of anise and cinnamon sticks.

This recipe should make six servings.
Cheers!

What is Mulled Wine anyway?

In medieval times, heated wines were called Ypocras or Hipocris, named after ‘the father of medicine,’ the Greek physician Hippocrates. Purer than the water in those days, it was thought to be a very healthy drink. During the 1500′s, the mulling of clarrey, or bordeaux wine, sweetened with honey and spiced with cinnamon and cardamon was popular.

There are various types of mulled wine and many countries have their own versions and names for this heated beverage. Other types and names for mulled wine include:

• Glögg – in Scandinavian countries, it is spiced with ginger, cloves and cinnamon. Sugar is added to the red wine and brandy or vodka is sometimes also added.
• Glühwein – “glowing wine”, in Germany.
• Vin brulé – “burnt wine”, in Italy.
• Grzane wino – “heated wine”, in Poland.
• Varené wino – “boiled wine”, in Slovakia.
• Forralt bor – “boiled wine”, in Hungary.
• Quentão – in Brazil, it is made using cachaça, an alcoholic beverage made from fermented sugar cane mixed with spices. In some parts of the country though these days, cachaça has been replaced for the more common red wine.

Read more at Suite101: Mulled Wine Recipe: Including a Brief History and Alternative Names for Hot Wine http://www.suite101.com/content/mulled-wine-recipe-a179247#ixzz14zfR0COF

If you could bring 3 things with you to a deserted island, what would they be?

We’d do just fine with

• a stick
• bubble gum
• 50 boxes of wine.

Throw a party, build a raft, then sail away into the sunset. Looks like boxed wine is good for more than just drinking! Learn more about boxed wine on our FAQ page or at our YouTube Channel

If you’re a boxed wine fan, please share this video it on Facebook, Twitter or email it to your friends.

Like This Video?

Check out our other funny video if you think you’d pass up the chance with Mr. Right for some boxed wine!  http://www.aboutboxedwine.com/blog/boxed-wine-its-that-good/

Needless to say, we were extremely happy to see that boxed wine was selected as one of ten “Design of the Decade” packages. BrandPackaging cited several reasons for choosing boxed wine. These reasons included boxed wine’s history of being lightweight, easy- to- transport and unbreakable. However in recent years, boxed wine has gained greater popularity due to the fact that wineries started placing premium wines in bag-in-box and consumers have viewed this packaging format as an eco-friendly option for wine packaging.

Cheers to boxed wine!

Click here to read BrandPackaging’s full article.

Click here to visit blackboxwines.com.

Click here to learn more about Black Box on aboutboxedwine.com.

Winery Perini and Campo Largo Winery, both Brazilian wineries, chose to package their wine in bag-in-box and have seen great results.

Winery Perini

The Winery Perini aimed to launch, Jota Pe, a new wine label in an innovative package format. They believed bag-in-box was the right innovative package for their wine because of the convenience features and its ability to store open wines longer when compared glass bottles. Winery Perini partnered with Scholle Ltda because of Scholle’s ability to deliver high quality packaging materials. These companies, also, partnered to create point of purchase displays for grocery store aisles, coordinate consumer wine tastings, and purchase radio spots to publicize Jota Pe and the benefits bag-in-box wine.

Winery Perini experienced an increase in volume sales as a result of these promotional efforts. Because of Jota Pe’s success, Winery Perini anticipates converting several other wine labels of into bag-in-box. Currently these wines are sold in glass bottles.

Learn more about Jota Pe and Winery Perini:  www.vinicolaperini.com.br

Campo Largo Winery

Campo Largo Winery’s objective was to sell their wine in a package that offered more convenience and product quality to consumers than bottles provided. For direction, Campo Largo Winery conducted a market analysis to determine the best package to meet their target customers’ needs.  The analysis concluded that bag-in-box packaging satisfied their customers’ needs.

Campo Largo Winery worked with Scholle Ltda because of the high level of customer support and advanced film and tap technology offered by Scholle Ltda. These factors combine helped Campo Largo Winery provide their consumers with four and six liter bag-in-box products replacing glass carboys.

Campo Largo worked hard to educate their consumers about the advantages of bag-in-box. These advantages included:

• Keeping wine fresher, longer
• Practical for storing as it occupies less space
• Hygiene
• No breakage
• It ensures less wastage and disposable

Consumers’ and retailers’ awareness of bag-in-box wine and their benefits have increased as a result of these educational efforts. Additionally, Winery Campo Largo’s sales team experienced greater commitment from retailers resulting in increased sales.

Learn more about Winery Campo Largo and their wines: www.vinicolacampolargo.com.br

1. Less Expensive:

Every 3L boxed wine holds the equivalent of 4- 750 mL bottles making it affordable and economical.

2. Longer Life:

Boxed wine stays fresh up to 6 to 8 weeks after opening.

3. Green and Clean:

Bag-in-box is an environmentally considerate packaging format. Check out these websites to learn more:
www.aboutboxedwine.com/boxed-wine-is-good/for-the-environment

www.betterwinesbetterworld.com

4. Perfect for Parties:

Easy to transport, easy to store are qualities that make boxed wine the perfect wine to bring to parties, celebrations and picnics.

5. Cool Cooking:

Cooks no longer have to open a whole bottle for just one glass of wine. A specific amount of wine can be easily dispensed from the box and set back in the frig or on a counter.

6. Tastes Good, Too:

Wine Spectator reviewed 39 boxed wines in its October 15th issue. Many of these wines, 27 to be exact, were either rated good or very good.

See Wine Spectator article: http://www.winespectator.com/issue/show/date/2009-10-15

7. Best Bang For Your Buck:

Price compare-Some boxed wines are more affordable, per 750 mL bottle, than bottles of wine and are just as good.

Read the full article: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100412/LIFE05/4120305/Wine-7-reasons-to-drink-inside-the-box

Tell us some of the reasons you drink inside the box!

***

The Wine Pocket is the solution to taking boxed wine anywhere, anytime while maintaining the temperature up to eight hours. We all know that keeping our wine at the right temperature is crucial to the taste. The Wine Pocket offers many benefits to wine drinkers:

• Convenient
• Lightweight
• Adjustable strap for carrying ease
• Extra pocket for essentials
• Soft sided for easy storage
• Non-sweating ice brick

It all began on a hot sunny summer day on the boat. I like white wine in the summer and to keep it chilled I had taken the bag out of the box and put it in the cooler. While cutting veggies, fruit and cheese the knife fell into the cooler and put a hole in the bag. Needless to say there was a lot of wine that went to waste that day. I knew there had to be a way to prevent that from happening again. My idea started that day and it has been quite an adventure seeing it go from paper to product.

The first design was for the five-liter box. I was fortunate to find a local manufacturer that was able to bring my dream to life. I made sure that I had everything covered for maximum convenience. I now have a smaller version for the three-liter box such as Black Box Wine, and have two colors: wine and navy.

Please visit our web site at thewinepocket.com to order your Wine Pocket today!

–Dianne

***

Do you have an interesting product for the boxed wine market? Send us an e-mail and tell us about it!

Cheers,

The ABW.com team

A recent article in The Modesto Bee recommends a few boxed wine labels. These labels included:

• Fish Eye’s red varietals
• Herding Cats Merlot-Pinotage
• Target’s Wine Cube Pinot Grigio

You can find other great boxed wine to serve with Thanksgiving dinner here.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Read the Modesto Bee’s full article: http://www.modbee.com/business/story/933308.html

Got some extra time? Watch Top Chef’s very own Fabio Viviani make an Itialian-inspired stuffing!