Box of wine (and other cheap wine)

[Kneel B4 Zod]

the antithesis of The Diablo's Napa thread.

On a friends recommendation, I recently picked up 2 boxes of wine, both from Black Box wines (http://www.blackboxwines.com/). His selling points were:

- convenience. wine in a box is very convenient if you/your SO like to have 1 or 2 glasses with dinner, but feel like you don't drink enough to be opening bottles every night

- value. you can now get decent wines at a great price. I paid $18.99 for each box, which is the equivalent of 4 standard bottles. you won't feel guilty drinking this every night or serving a bunch to anyone over for casual bite.

- that is all

I picked up 1 box of Cabernet Sauvignon and 1 box of Pinot Grigio. I had the Cab with dinner last night. Verdict - it's ok! I am only a newb wine drinker, and to me it tasted like a decent $10 bottle would. It had a pretty full body and some spicy berry flavors. It was great for the 2 glasses I had my steak tips.

I haven't had the PG, trip report to follow. The only downside to the Box o' PG is that you need to keep it in the fridge. but no biggie, I don't keep a lot of food in there anyway.

anyone else have other cheap wine to suggest? or not ashamed to admit they recently bought a box?

[ahnuld]

The Delicato Merlot is really awesome. I think it would go for about 10 bucks in the states, but if you want a great wine to drink alone to predrink, or to drink with the bread when you first get in the restaurant, this is it.

[Aloysius]

[ QUOTE ]
- convenience. wine in a box is very convenient if you/your SO like to have 1 or 2 glasses with dinner, but feel like you don't drink enough to be opening bottles every night

[/ QUOTE ]

...

http://www.acwc.com/images/productLabelsLive/4887_lg.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/aloysius42/winebottlestop02.jpg

I expected more from you, KBZ... (though remain impressed by your frugality)

-Al

[Freakin]

[ QUOTE ]

- value. you can now get decent wines at a great price. I paid $18.99 for each box, which is the equivalent of 4 standard bottles. you won't feel guilty drinking this every night or serving a bunch to anyone over for casual bite.


[/ QUOTE ]

??? 4 standard bottles? Jeez either I'm paying too much for wine or you're a cheap date.

I'd love to find some good box wines that I like... my wife hardly drinks any wine and I can't even get close to finishing a bottle by myself

[Kneel B4 Zod]

Al,

Come back to this thread when you finish waxing your Rolls Royce.

[asofel]

Freakin,

I think he means that a box is 4 times 750ml...if he meant 19 = 4 x standard price....well then thats just silly...

[Kneel B4 Zod]

[ QUOTE ]
Freakin,

I think he means that a box is 4 times 750ml...if he meant 19 = 4 x standard price....well then thats just silly...

[/ QUOTE ]

yes, 1 box = 4 x 750ml = great value

[SL__72]

I have something similar to this (http://www.winegizmo.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/product-id/52207.html) which works pretty well if I just want to drink a bottle over the coarse of 2-3 days instead of one sitting. I think I payed like $6 for it...

That said, the only boxed wines I've had much are the more fruity ones that really resemble alcoholic juice a lot more then wine. They are good if you want to pursue alcoholism for a day or two and want to switch it up and get something other then beer... I can't really see myself drinking it often/ever now that I'm out of school though.

[citanul]

I have been very happy with Three Thieves (http://www.threethieves.com/home.html) boxed wines. I have seen them available at Whole Foods. Not only are there full bottle sized boxes, there are juice box sizes. These are great for bbqs, outdoors, lunch at work, etc.

[Melchiades]

There is definitly boxed wine that is fine for daily use for non-snobs.

[El Diablo]

KBZ,

I use a stopper like this and it works just fine for a couple of days.

http://www.flowersonline.tv/samples/filagree_wine_stopper.jpg

[nyc999]

I highly recommend the Vacu Vin Wine Saver. It vacuum-seals it (not truly, but a strong seal) and wine is good for several days.

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4068/pumpfv5.jpg

[Aloysius]

NYC - really? I found it to not work very well - I switched to wine preserver spray (spray displaces oxygen with other inert gases) + wine stopper, works great (~3 days).

-Al

[Claunchy]

LOL @ how this turned into a "how to keep a bottle of wine" thread.

Vacuvin is solid. That is what the bar I used to bartend at used to keep the house wine.

Though I have to ask, am I the only one who never has a problem finishing a bottle of wine between two people? It's like two glasses each.

[Freakin]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Freakin,

I think he means that a box is 4 times 750ml...if he meant 19 = 4 x standard price....well then thats just silly...

[/ QUOTE ]

yes, 1 box = 4 x 750ml = great value

[/ QUOTE ]

lol, ok. that makes MUCH more sense

[Aloysius]

[ QUOTE ]
LOL @ how this turned into a "how to keep a bottle of wine" thread.

[/ QUOTE ]

haha - this might be partially my fault - to get this thread back on track:

Can Good Wine Come In a Box? (http://www.slate.com/id/2146720) - article from Slate with some reviews:

[ QUOTE ]
Banrock Station 2005 Chardonnay (Australia), $18 (3-liter box)

Full-bodied, somewhat creamy wine, with peach, lemon, and marzipan flavors and a lick of honey. Some heft to the wine, but not at all heavy; best of all, lacks the sweetness that mars so many chardonnays, particularly at this price point. Surprisingly pleasant.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Black Box 2004 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (California), $18 (3-liter box)

Hello, roadkill—a blast of animal fur greets the nose, and then quickly, mercifully gives way to red berries, smoke, and clay. A cabernet light in color and light on the palate—more East Coast in style than California. That said, not bad—sprightly red fruit with a nice dash of spice and good structure.

[/ QUOTE ]

-Al

[Kneel B4 Zod]

[ QUOTE ]
Black Box 2004 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (California), $18 (3-liter box)

[/ QUOTE ]

Al,
This was my OP!!

All,

Fear not, I am enjoying a glass of the 2005 Black Box Monterey County Pinot Grigio right now. I will post when I am done jotting down my tasting notes.

[Aloysius]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Black Box 2004 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (California), $18 (3-liter box)

[/ QUOTE ]

Al,
This was my OP!!

All,

Fear not, I am enjoying a glass of the 2005 Black Box Monterey County Pinot Grigio right now. I will post when I am done jotting down my tasting notes.

[/ QUOTE ]

hahah - this thread has inspired me to pick up some boxed wine and review them. I am down with the whole cheapness / value thing happening.

-Al

[nyc999]

[ QUOTE ]
NYC - really? I found it to not work very well - I switched to wine preserver spray (spray displaces oxygen with other inert gases) + wine stopper, works great (~3 days).

-Al

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never had a problem - although I'm interested in trying your recommendation.

End of hijack.

[ahnuld]

ill be happy to buy a boed wine and report back on friday afternoon.

Also im pretty sure a full bottle is about 6 servings, but correct me if im wrong.

[Kneel B4 Zod]

2005 Black Box Pinot Grigio

I don't think this held up quite as nice as the Cab. It has just a bit of creaminess, and as well as some fruity citrus flavors. but it just didn't taste as full as the cab, which is a worthy wine to have around the house. The PG is probably more like a decent wine to serve at casual gatherings.

[Matt Flynn]

[ QUOTE ]
Banrock Station 2005 Chardonnay (Australia), $18 (3-liter box)

Full-bodied, somewhat creamy wine, with peach, lemon, and marzipan flavors and a lick of honey. Some heft to the wine, but not at all heavy; best of all, lacks the sweetness that mars so many chardonnays, particularly at this price point. Surprisingly pleasant.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Black Box 2004 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon (California), $18 (3-liter box)

Hello, roadkill—a blast of animal fur greets the nose, and then quickly, mercifully gives way to red berries, smoke, and clay. A cabernet light in color and light on the palate—more East Coast in style than California. That said, not bad—sprightly red fruit with a nice dash of spice and good structure.

[/ QUOTE ]



Absurd, yet flaccid.

[cbloom]

Excellent cheap wine at TJ's :

Copolla Rosso $7.99 blend
Superb blend wine, will beat $20 bottles in blind tasting

Five Hills Blue $5.99 Cabernet
spicy, rich, balanced

TJ Coastal $4.99 (or is it 3.99 ?)
This is actually Castoro which goes for $10+ under it's own label

TJ Napa River $4.99
Another good off-label to alternate with the Coastal

Bear's Lair $3.99 Cabernet
Nice spice and tannin
Doesn't have a deep rich fruit like you'd want, but hell it's $4
Very nice with like a spicy red sauce pasta


There's also a lot of cheap red there that isn't good. Most of the cheap Chilean stuff I've gotten there has been bad. The Trader Moon Zin is very thin. The Prosperity is weak.

[WhoIam]

I used to really like Banrock Station shiraz. At around $16 for 3 liters, it's both the cheapest and best inexpensive shiraz I've tried. It tastes like crap to me now because I spent 3 months in Australia drinking the real stuff.

[AquaSwing]

[ QUOTE ]
I highly recommend the Vacu Vin Wine Saver. It vacuum-seals it (not truly, but a strong seal) and wine is good for several days.

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/4068/pumpfv5.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]
When my wife was pregnant with the kids and I wasn't in the mood to drink a whole bottle by myself but still wanted wine I developed a system. I would open a bottle and immediately pour half of the bottle into an empty half bottle that I had on hand. Seal it up with the vacu thing above and stick it in the fridge-even if it was a red wine. Since there was very little air in the half bottle and it was chilled, it would last 5-6 days. Then I would drink the rest of the bottle than I just opened.

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
I have been very happy with Three Thieves (http://www.threethieves.com/home.html) boxed wines. I have seen them available at Whole Foods. Not only are there full bottle sized boxes, there are juice box sizes. These are great for bbqs, outdoors, lunch at work, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hoping for some info since Whole Foods is a trip for me since I live near the wrong side of the tracks in the LA greater metro area. When you say "full bottle sized boxes" do you mean 750ml or the 3 liter boxes (the size of Black Box Wine)?

~ Rick

[citanul]

[ QUOTE ]
When you say "full bottle sized boxes" do you mean 750ml or the 3 liter boxes (the size of Black Box Wine)?

~ Rick

[/ QUOTE ]

Rick,

I was mistaken in my thoughts earlier. Their "full bottle sized boxes" are in fact 1 liter. They also apparently sell 1 liter jugs of some other wines. Also, the sizing on the juice boxed size wines is 250ml, and are available in 4 packs.

I sadly can't make any promises about the availability of this wine across the Whole Foods universe, just that I've seen both the 1L and 250ml at 2 WF in Chicago.

c

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
or not ashamed to admit they recently bought a box?

[/ QUOTE ]

Until someone shows that I'm wrong I lay claim to being the first on 2+2 to recomend boxed wine. (http://tinyurl.com/2wypko)

Lately I've been going with Black Box brand but want to swing by Whole Foods Market when I get time.

Search on my user name crossed with +boxed +wine for more. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

~ Rick

[SL__72]

I went to Trader Joe's earlier this week and pretty much got a tour de cheap wines. All told I spent $55 on wine and came home with 10 bottles. I'll do some reviews of them as I go through them, but I'm pretty sure the gem of my purchase was the $3 bottle of Charles Shaw (3 buck chuck...)

[Cancuk]

[ QUOTE ]
NYC - really? I found it to not work very well - I switched to wine preserver spray (spray displaces oxygen with other inert gases) + wine stopper, works great (~3 days).

-Al

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm a wine rep. and I use this. Works well.

[citanul]

[ QUOTE ]
I went to Trader Joe's earlier this week and pretty much got a tour de cheap wines. All told I spent $55 on wine and came home with 10 bottles. I'll do some reviews of them as I go through them, but I'm pretty sure the gem of my purchase was the $3 bottle of Charles Shaw (3 buck chuck...)

[/ QUOTE ]

beware, a few of the really cheapos from TJs are really, really not good. Fortunately they are cheap enough that you needn't feel bad if you have to stop after a glass and pour the rest out.

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
I went to Trader Joe's earlier this week and pretty much got a tour de cheap wines. All told I spent $55 on wine and came home with 10 bottles. I'll do some reviews of them as I go through them, but I'm pretty sure the gem of my purchase was the $3 bottle of Charles Shaw (3 buck chuck...)

[/ QUOTE ]

The price must have went up, it was $1.99 last time I was there abut a month ago. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Pour this stuff for people privately without showing the bottle. That way you get a more or less valid opinion instead of one influenced by "if it's cheap it can't be decent" mentality.

~ Rick

[Banks2334]

[ QUOTE ]


Pour this stuff for people privately without showing the bottle. That way you get a more or less valid opinion instead of one influenced by "if it's cheap it can't be decent" mentality.

~ Rick

[/ QUOTE ]
Rick,
I've done this numerous times with friends. Its not too difficult to pick out the 2$ Chuck. Yes, for 2$ its drinkable, but I wouldn't pay $10 for it. Lots of hype, little substance.

[JaredL]

Pretty much any wine from Trader Joes is really good for the very low price.

[citanul]

A number of the Columbia Crest wines are quite decent. Everything I've had from them was straightforward, drinkable, and clean.

I'm particularly fond of Columbia Crest Merlot "Grand Estates" Columbia Valley 2003 and Columbia Crest Shiraz "Two Vines" Columbia Valley 2002. For the whites people out there, Columbia Crest Chardonnay "Grand Estates" Columbia Valley 2003 is quite nice as well. All these can be had for under $10, and are amongst my go-tos for when I've got a party coming and need a "house wine" selection.

For something entirely not "simple table wine," Mionetto "Moscato" Prosecco NV, around $6 or $7 is reliable. Not great, not bad, good. A good thing if you want something sparkling around but don't want to pay much for it.

[Benjamin]

[ QUOTE ]
A number of the Columbia Crest wines are quite decent. Everything I've had from them was straightforward, drinkable, and clean.


[/ QUOTE ]

Hey, I couldn't agree more. I composed a similar post yesterday, but the boards went down and I couldn't post it. Here's what I wrote:

I've found Columbia Crest Two Vines (http://www.columbia-crest.com/wines_two.cfm) wines to be a consistent value. I look for it on sale at the supermarket, and it can frequently be found for 10 or 11 bucks for a 1.5l double bottle, or 6 for a 750ml. I generally like their reds. Some are better than others depending on vintage, etc ..., but they all generally have decent body and fruit without off-flavors.

It's been a mainstay table wine of mine for years.

[limon]

Step 1: buy anything on the bottom shelf at trader joes
Step 2: pour it through the BEVWIZARD
step 3: enjoy

now i know im going to get blasted for using the bevwizard but the thing REALLY works. ive done blind tests, as have my wife and our friends. there is no doubt it softens and brings the fruit forward in tannic reds. The truth is you can get 80% of the effect just by decanting and letting stand for an hour but who can wait an hour to drink?

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
Step 1: buy anything on the bottom shelf at trader joes
Step 2: pour it through the BEVWIZARD
step 3: enjoy

now i know im going to get blasted for using the bevwizard but the thing REALLY works. ive done blind tests, as have my wife and our friends. there is no doubt it softens and brings the fruit forward in tannic reds. The truth is you can get 80% of the effect just by decanting and letting stand for an hour but who can wait an hour to drink?

[/ QUOTE ]

It got a review similar to your's here (http://www.tonyaspler.com/pub/articleview.asp?id=1037&s=5)

Wonder if it would help Two Buck Chuck? /images/graemlins/grin.gif

~ Rick

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


Pour this stuff for people privately without showing the bottle. That way you get a more or less valid opinion instead of one influenced by "if it's cheap it can't be decent" mentality.

~ Rick

[/ QUOTE ]
Rick,
I've done this numerous times with friends. Its not too difficult to pick out the 2$ Chuck. Yes, for 2$ its drinkable, but I wouldn't pay $10 for it. Lots of hype, little substance.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why would anyone pay $10 for something you can get for $2 /images/graemlins/grin.gif.

Seriously, I'm sure there are wines in the $5 to $10 range that are very good (as listed here), and those would compare well tasted blind with wines in the $30 to $50 range. Wine just seems to generally have more hype associated with it than most other consumables. And succumbing to the "price it high hype so people think it's good" is something I try and simply have to avoid.

~ Rick

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
Columbia Crest Shiraz "Two Vines" Columbia Valley 2002.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm a total n00b when it comes to wine, but I dug Yellow Tail a lot more than the CC.

[Jurollo]

1 Word.

Boone's

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Columbia Crest Shiraz "Two Vines" Columbia Valley 2002.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm a total n00b when it comes to wine, but I dug Yellow Tail a lot more than the CC.

[/ QUOTE ]

Little Penguin is vastly superior to Yellow Tail IMO.

Columbia Crest is a great value wine. For those of you into such things, they consistently get highly rated at winespectator as well.

[joe c]

[ QUOTE ]

When my wife was pregnant with the kids and I wasn't in the mood to drink a whole bottle by myself but still wanted wine I developed a system. I would open a bottle and immediately pour half of the bottle into an empty half bottle that I had on hand. Seal it up with the vacu thing above and stick it in the fridge-even if it was a red wine. Since there was very little air in the half bottle and it was chilled, it would last 5-6 days. Then I would drink the rest of the bottle than I just opened.

[/ QUOTE ]

this works well if you use a half bottle with a screw top on it, don't really need the vacuum pump. just need to fill it up all of the way.

[IggyWH]

AOL has a story today :

Top Wines for $5.99 (Or Less!) (http://cooking.aol.com/food/best-cheap-wines?photo=2)


Who says a bottle of wine has to be pricey in order to be good? AOL Food decided to search for praiseworthy wines that come in at the bargain basement prices of $5.99 or less. As we swirled and sipped from 34 bottles that met our price limit, we discovered five bottles of singular merit. We promise that these bottles will please your friends without breaking the bank -- or making you feel like a scrooge!


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Trader Joe's Coastal Cabernet
Our No. 1 Pick

You Can Find It Around This Price: $4.99


Wine Attributes: The plump fruit flavors of this California wine culminate in a long finish of berries and currants, making it the perfect choice to accompany steaks and beef tenderloin or a cheese tray of brie, aged cheddar and gorgonzola.


------------


Amaicha Torrontes
Our No. 2 Pick

You Can Find It Around This Price: $4.99


Wine Attributes: More similar to Viognier or Gewurztraminer than to Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, Torrontes provides a refreshing contrast to spicy foods or Asian flavors. Try it also with shrimp or mild Swiss and smoked gouda cheeses.


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Banrock Station Shiraz
Our No. 3 Pick

You Can Find It Around This Price: $5.99


Wine Attributes: Although softer and sweeter than other Shiraz wines on the market, its lush cherry and plum notes are laced with a hint of peppery spice that will match heavier dishes like rack of lamb or grilled meats.


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Barefoot California Merlot
Our No. 4 Pick

You Can Find It Around This Price: $5.99


Wine Attributes: Although enjoyable on its own, this Californian Merlot will complement a wide array of dishes, including roast pork loin, spaghetti bolognese or even a decadent chocolate dessert.


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Barefoot California Chardonnay
Our No. 5 Pick

You Can Find It Around This Price: $5.99


Wine Attributes: This lighter alternative offers a surprisingly complex, buttery structure for such a low price. The underlying acidity will stand up to rich cream sauces. Serve it alongside crab cakes or roast chicken.


===================


Any opinions on any of these?

[citanul]

One I forgot about for a while:

La Yunta: Torrents (I think I spelled right.)

White wine from (I'm pretty sure) Argentina. Interesting, tasty, hella cheap. Had one year that was much better than the others but I'm pretty sure that entire vintage is gone. The next year was still quite nice though.

Last week I had a bottle of Red Truck and a bottle of White Truck.

These two wines follow in the current trend of "everyone likes a blended table wine."

Red Truck is currently a favorite amongst people who are looking for red-blend table wines for under $10. I was not really that impressed though. I could definitely see having a bottle around, but it's not like if I went to the store for a sub $10 bottle of red I would not look at other stuff to try something new because this was there. Drinkable but didn't make me smile.

White Truck is the same company's white blend. I had this with Thai food and was pleasantly surprised (especially considering the Red Truck non-impressedness). Went quite nicely with some fried and spicy stuff. I'll probably get another bottle of this at some point but not another bottle of the red.

[Benjamin]

[ QUOTE ]

Barefoot California Merlot
Our No. 4 Pick

You Can Find It Around This Price: $5.99


Wine Attributes: Although enjoyable on its own, this Californian Merlot will complement a wide array of dishes, including roast pork loin, spaghetti bolognese or even a decadent chocolate dessert.
--------
Any opinions on any of these?

[/ QUOTE ]

I like the Barefoot wines enough to buy them on sale. I don't recall the merlot being my favorite, too soft for my taste, IIRC. I like the zinfandel and syrah better. I haven't tried the chardonnay.

[joe c]

The Barefoot wines are solid. Nothing overly exciting, but good for the price. You can get them for $4 a bottle. I've never had the merlot, but the chardonnay is quite nice for $4. I've been meaning to try their other whites, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Banrock wines are nice too, look for them at closer to $5 a bottle.

La Boca wines (Argentinian wines at $4 a bottle) are another decent choice in this price range. The malbec is the best of them.

None of these wines are amazing by any means, but they are solid wines for under $5. All better than 2 buck chuck imho.

[cbloom]

citanul, I can't imagine why anyone would buy Red Truck when you can get Coppola's "Rosso" or Ca del Solo's "Big House Red" which are both incredible and around $8.

ps. Trader Joe's once again has Coppola's red label "Shiraz" (Syrah) for $6.99 which is unbelievable.

re : Trader Joe's Coastal Cabernet ; I've posted before about this, it is super excellent. As I said before it's actually Castoro which is a highly rated $15 wine on its own label.

[cbloom]

[ QUOTE ]

now i know im going to get blasted for using the bevwizard but the thing REALLY works. ive done blind tests, as have my wife and our friends. there is no doubt it softens and brings the fruit forward in tannic reds. The truth is you can get 80% of the effect just by decanting and letting stand for an hour but who can wait an hour to drink?

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe it, sounds like a good device. The "magnetic field" claims are pure garbage, but aeration is real, and you're right nobody decants like they should. Most wine would taste way better if people just did like they do in France and serve it from a carafe instead of the bottle.

I bet you could pour the wine in a big bowl and whisk it and get the same effect.

[Shillx]

There is a good deal going at Safeway on Columbia Crest 2003 Shiraz. It is $4.95/bottle when you buy half a case or more. You can also get bottles of the CC 2002 Shiraz for $6.99/bottle (on sale) at BevMo (excellent value).

[Benjamin]

[ QUOTE ]
but aeration is real, and you're right nobody decants like they should. Most wine would taste way better if people just did like they do in France and serve it from a carafe instead of the bottle.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you have a little time before you plan to serve a red that could use decanting, but you don't want that much trouble, then open the bottle early, pour a tiny glass out to increase the amount of air in the bottle, and the surface area exposed to the air, recork the bottle securely, invert it a few times to mix the fresh air around in the wine, and let it sit until you are ready. If you think about it, invert it a few more times if you are back in the kitchen later.

Nothing like decanting, but better than just taking the cork out.