Boxed wine is at a Herculean disadvantage in this country. For millions of Americans, it represents bottom-shelf, super-market swill of college parties yore. But better and better wines are becoming available in boxed form. The wines aren’t just passable; they’re actually good. One of the most compelling examples I’ve tasted in recent weeks is a traditionally made Tuscan Sangiovese, produced from organic grapes grown in Chianti Classico and sold by Tetra Pak for an average retail price of thirteen bucks.
Americans are the outliers in their skepticism for wines that come in boxes. Addressing Americans’ collective aversion to bag-in-box wines, TaliaBaiocchi wrote, “It’s as if boxes of White Zinfandel were built into our subconscious at birth, equipping us with a collective self-consciousness that still plagues our perceptions of BIB wines.”
First, a bit of historical context. Australians invented boxed wine in the 1960s. Down under, people endearingly call boxes of wine “goons,” and they drink them with alacrity. France is also a fan. Last year, boxed wines represented one of only two categories growing in domestic consumption. (Rosé was the other.)