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I have not tasted this wine, but there is no intrinsic reason why it cannot be good. Take the most popular restaurant chardonnay like Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranches. Most if it is sold as wine by the glass. Why should you pay over $2.00 a bottle for the package when the customer will never see it? The frieght per liter of wine is almost twice as much for a case of wine (the glass is 1/3+ the weight of the total case of wine and the cardboard adds more). So bag in the box is good for the environment. For the cast bulk of wine that is drunk within days after it is sold, this is a good answer.

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I have not tasted this wine, but there is no intrinsic reason why it cannot be good.  Take the most popular restaurant chardonnay like Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranches.  Most if it is sold as wine by the glass.  Why should you pay over $2.00 a bottle for the package when the customer will never see it?  The frieght per liter of wine is almost twice as much for a case of wine (the glass is 1/3+ the weight of the total case of wine and the cardboard adds more).  So bag in the box is good for the environment.  For the cast bulk of wine that is drunk within days after it is sold, this is a good answer.

Co-sign.

By the way, has anyone tasted the Sonoma-Cutrer Russian river Chardonnay lately? I don't get it, WHY does everyone go bonkers over this stuff? In the late '80's it was compelling California Chardonnay, but now? Average. Where's the beef? Not in the bottle. If they increase production, this will be higher-priced KJ.

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When I used to buy it 15 years ago, 18 liters cost $23. Think about that!

15 years ago I owned a restaurant in Montgomery County with 2 friends. I laugh now when I think that we used Wycliff as the house wine. $23 for 18 liters sold at $2.50 a glass. A liter yields 6-7 glasses. That's a long way to today selling $25 glasses of Premier Cru Chassagne-Montrachet! :)

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15 years ago I owned a restaurant in Montgomery County with 2 friends. I laugh now when I think that we used Wycliff as the house wine. $23 for 18 liters sold at $2.50 a glass. A liter yields 6-7 glasses. That's a long way to today selling $25 glasses of Premier Cru Chassagne-Montrachet! :)

If you consider the profit margin on the Wycliff (almost $220 profit per carton), you were doing a heckuva lot better back then.

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Some of wine from the bladder can me mixed with vanilla, champagne mangoes, papaya, watermellon, rum and such and such and returned to the bladder, thereupon inserted into a large watermellon with the tap coming out from the bottom. Results in a jungle juice that would make summer BBQ enthusiast blush.

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That's what you get for making punch instead of sangria.
Instead of fixing the already good wine by turning it into vermouth, you should have done something with the damn franzia. Who walks into a party, notices the only type of alcohol not present and decides to make it instead of drinking or fixing some of the things that are available?

By the way, Jparrot makes amazing sweet vermouth - what's the recipe?

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Use it instead of water to boil pasta.

I've always wanted to buy several boxes of the cheapest wine I could find and fill a tub with the stuff. What Roman history buff hasn't dreamt of taking a luxurious wine bath?

Boiling pasta with it sounds interesting. Tasty, I am not so sure.

Does a wine bath with the cheapest boxed wine constitute luxurious? :P

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It was a canny decision on Franzia's part to put it in boxes instead of bottles, since you can't even park it behind the radiator or fridge and make vinegar without starting a fire.

I'd say hold on to it until summer, soak some strawberries in it, add some sugar, and turn it into sorbet.

Or take the sack out of the box, drop it in a pillowcase, and use it to bludgeon whoever gave it to you.

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Didn't you watch the Iron Chef America episode where Rachel Ray and Mario did that?
I don't watch TV, sorry. I still think dropping it off a building is your best bet. I'll just make sure my car isn't parked nearby. :P

Does it go bad in the box? If not, then save it for the next time you make sangria.

(Cleopatra bathed in asses milk, not wine. Not sure if that would smell any better.)

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I find myself in possession of an unopened box of Franzia. What in the world should happen to it? I feel so bad throwing away unopened beverages, but still....
Gift-wrap it and send it to Sietsema. Hold a contest here for the name of the donor.
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I find myself in possession of an unopened box of Franzia. What in the world should happen to it? I feel so bad throwing away unopened beverages, but still....
It's like getting a gift, unwrapping it, and finding a box of VELVEETA! :P

Seriously, I know someone who would LOVE to have this. PM me and I will take it off your hands.

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I find myself in possession of an unopened box of Franzia. What in the world should happen to it? I feel so bad throwing away unopened beverages, but still....
Decant a portion into a carafe. Invite wannabe wine connoisseurs (if you're unfortunate enough to know any) to a blind tasting of it and other wines. Sit back and watch the fun ensue while trying to keep a straight face.
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Decant a portion into a carafe. Invite wannabe wine connoisseurs (if you're unfortunate enough to know any) to a blind tasting of it and other wines. Sit back and watch the fun ensue while trying to keep a straight face.

This scenario is more fun if you invite Camembert,too. The Franzia could take first place!

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NYT op-ed by Tyler Colman on the virtues of (some) boxed wines, notably those that use the TetraPak.

Has anyone tried the ones he recommends on his website? They are the Yellow + Blue Malbec from Argentina and a line of wines from Three Thieves Bandit in California. Apparently his favorite, the D-Tour from Burgundy, has been "temporarily withdrawn from the market."

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I haven't had that particular Three Thieves product, but I've sampled their "jug" wines. They're budget friendly and serviceable, in my opinion (for what its worth). Don't know if I'd twist one open for an intimate, celebratory dinner, but I think it would be fine for parties or for "everyday."

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If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times. "Aseptic" packaging (such as TetraPak) is extremely useful for lots of wines. Stacks better, is marginally more heat resistant (useful in 76-degree warehouses), doesn't break. The only drawback is due to costs of generating a new packaging (you can't just buy any old bottle and slap a label on it), there is a minimum level of production required. But I suppose there's no reason why someone couldn't come up with a more generic Tetra packaging that could take a label.

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I have never tried boxed wine and was unsure about the taste. Two weeks ago, I was watching Good Morning America and for a luxury wine that they recommended was in a box. I'm going to go out and give it a try. Wish me luck.

In my search for the Great Cheap Picnic wine I have essayed many times into the valley of the box only to find that the destination did not justify the journey. Where one one hopes to find the equivalent of a sassy little French vin du pays and would settle for an inoffensive California quaffer, one instead discovers Love Canals of noxious swill, making one long for even the lesser joys of my wife's Chilean jug juice. I'm tired of having to quaff DC tapwater or warm Busweiser to get the taste of my wine out of my mouth.

Plus, they're not even that cheap.

Please report back; they can't all be as bad as the ones I've tried.

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I searched the indexes and couldn't find a thread on boxed wine yet. Yes, I know, the horror, but boxed wines have been around long enough that I think you can find some decent ones. I'm not necessarily looking for the best quality, just something that isn't offensive to someone with a decent wine palate. I think it's a fair trade off to be able to keep a wine and have a glass now and then as I please since I live alone, versus the alternatives - a good wine being partially wasted (not that frequent) or me getting drunk by myself because I drink the entire bottle (much more frequent). :P

A few months ago I bought the Silver Birch sauvignon blanc from Octavian ($16.99 for 3L). I was thrilled to find something other than chardonnay or pinot grigio and found it to be a decent wine for the price and how long it lasted. Recently I learned Octavian also makes a rieslig from R. Muller. It's listed as medium sweet so I'm afraid it will be too sweet for my palate, but I was thinking about getting it for my 4th of July part and am wondering if anyone has had it?

Any other boxed wines, white or red, that people have enjoyed? Thoughts on boxed wine in general? What about making sangria from boxed wine?

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Currently drinking: Black Box Wines Cabernet Sauvignon, California 2010

Sourced: Rodman's, White Flint

Opened: about 3 weeks ago

Price: $21.99 / 3L

From the label: "Rich aromas of dark fruit complemented by a deep, lush body. The finish is soft and long with lingering notes of berry."

My amateur palate: okay, I'm getting that. Not much nose to this one. Not a particularly "big" cab, but suitable for everyday drinking, which we are.

Bottom line: Like it!

(Good thread start, BTW.)

- R

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Same as my coffee post, time to tighten up the budget. Anyone have any boxed wines, especially red that they're enjoying that aren't too full bodied?

I have found some whites that I actually find quite drinkable. The Pour Haus pinot grigio is a nice dry, acidic one. 

And I would venture to say that the La Petite Frog Picpoul De Pinet is actually a good wine though it's been a year or two since I had it. It's a little pricier than some, but warranted. Still, see above regarding budget so I find the Big House Wine Co Bootlegger White to be an acceptable alternative once it warms up a bit in the glass. Its very floral with lots of fruit so it comes across as a tad sweet when it first hits your palate though I don't think there's much, if any RS. I find it fairly food friendly as a result. 

Reds have been tougher. I did find one I like a decent amount. Le Vieille Ferme red is a Rhone blend I believe:

http://www.totalwine.com/wine/red-wine/rhone-blend/la-vieille-ferme-red-bag-in-box/p/117131750?s=402&igrules=true

I wanted to try something different - does anyone have suggestions? I'm hesitant to try the Big House reds as I'm afraid they're going to be CA style fruit bombs. I did some research online and the Wineberry boxes seem to be well regarded as actual good wines, but I only see them distributed in NY. :(

In general I find it easier to drink cheap white wine than red, though I have learned that aerating a cheap red can help significantly, but I'm hoping to find a couple that I can rotate through depending on mood. Oh, I also tried the Maipe malbec as I was able to get a bottle first. I could barely drink it. 

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I, too, have been on a quest for good European-style reds, with little success.  Online, some have said that Maison Cubi Syrah Carignan is pretty good.  I have not tried it, nor have I seen it here locally.

I second the La Petite Frog, which has been perfect for when grandmothers visit the house and want a single glass of white.  It's also a great go-to wine for cooking/deglazing if I don't have sherry.  Not sure if I read it here or elsewhere, but at one point I thought Le Petite Frog was the house wine at the Inn at Little Washington (although I'm not sure that's still the case.)

Although not my preferred style, I've found that Big House Red perfectly serviceable for occasions like graduation parties where I have a lot of people who don't care about wine that much, and but will happily go through a box or two.    

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On 12/6/2006 at 3:52 PM, Heather said:

 

Does it go bad in the box? If not, then save it for the next time you make sangria.

 

 

On 6/27/2012 at 2:33 PM, Choirgirl21 said:

I searched the indexes and couldn't find a thread on boxed wine yet. Yes, I know, the horror, but boxed wines have been around long enough that I think you can find some decent ones. I'm not necessarily looking for the best quality, just something that isn't offensive to someone with a decent wine palate. I think it's a fair trade off to be able to keep a wine and have a glass now and then as I please since I live alone, versus the alternatives - a good wine being partially wasted (not that frequent) or me getting drunk by myself because I drink the entire bottle (much more frequent). :P

A few months ago I bought the Silver Birch sauvignon blanc from Octavian ($16.99 for 3L). I was thrilled to find something other than chardonnay or pinot grigio and found it to be a decent wine for the price and how long it lasted. Recently I learned Octavian also makes a rieslig from R. Muller. It's listed as medium sweet so I'm afraid it will be too sweet for my palate, but I was thinking about getting it for my 4th of July part and am wondering if anyone has had it?

Any other boxed wines, white or red, that people have enjoyed? Thoughts on boxed wine in general? What about making sangria from boxed wine?

I can tell you that a fair number of restaurants in the region use boxed wine for sangria's.  How many I wouldn't know but its a good number.  I'm familiar with some.  I wish I had the recipe's and which wines they use.

In one case I'm familiar with a restaurant/bar that probably sells anywhere in a range of 30-150 glasses of sangria/night.  Obviously depends on night and time of year.  That would be both red and white sangria's.  Both use boxed wines, Both incorporate flavored brandies (red or white)...some other mixes and are very generous with fruit.

I think both versions are refreshing and tasty.  Clearly they are quite popular.  Best or not they are extremely popular and have been so for at least a decade.  I wouldn't know if they've changed the wines in that time period.

I've used boxed wines for sangria, for intermittent use and for larger parties.  Its the additional ingredients that enhance the sangria...and I'm not suggesting that far better wines would create far better sangria's--they probably would. ....but boxed wines clearly work in my own experience  and are commercially applied in many establishments.  They are popular/well liked. 

 

 

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On 6/27/2012 at 2:33 PM, Choirgirl21 said:

 

Any other boxed wines, white or red, that people have enjoyed? Thoughts on boxed wine in general? What about making sangria from boxed wine?

I've been intrigued by this question from 5 years ago.   Over the years I've learned that some restaurant/bars use boxed wines in their sangria's.  A majority or minority I wouldn't know.  But some do.  Then I learned of one bar/restaurant that does a great job with sangria.  They serve a lot and have for years.  Its generally in the $7/glass range.  Its been significantly popular at this restaurant for years and its a high volume item.

While not a voracious sangria drinker I've had both the white and red.  Absolutely enjoy both of them.  Tasty, nice body, lush, and rich.  Both of them.  Both from boxed wine.  I can appreciate why they've been so popular for so long.

Then I researched several restaurants of better name and higher prices.  On their menus they may include ingredients.  These typically read something like~~ wine, some other specific ingredients (all specified) and then fruit or fruit with other elements.   

BUT I have yet to see a restaurant reference the wine (heck I haven't checked them all...just a few).  So I'm thinking LOTS of places used boxed wines.

Now even as I'm not a voracious sangria drinker or maker I have made sangria's with boxed wines.  In fact I suspect most of them.  Sometimes they turn out great.   A few times they weren't great or even that good.  (shrugs).

Now I'm thinking at least most restaurants used boxed wines.  Any better intelligence????

 

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