More And More People Prefer Wine In A Box

WMTW.COM ^ | 10-13-2005 | AP

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

WASHINGTON -- Would you like that wine in a bottle or in a box?

According to a marketing information company, more and more people are preferring the latter. AC-Nielsen said sales of premium-priced, three-liter boxes are increasing faster than any other segment.

Industry consultant John Fredrikson said boxed wines are appealing to the growing number of Americans who drink wine more regularly. He said they want something that doesn't need uncorking and will last longer than just a few days.

The amount inside is also a good value. A 3-liter box contains the equivalent of four bottles of wine, and the cost translates to around $4 to $5 a bottle for quality wine. A box should keep for at least four weeks after opening.

Boxed wine actually has been around for years. But traditionally, it was low-brow stuff that the wine bottle crowd wouldn't touch.

Not anymore. Now, 90 percent of sales of 3-liter boxes are by people switching some of their buying from bottles. The rest are starting to buy more wine or trying it for the first time, according to ACNielsen

For the record, boxed wines are not really in boxes. They're actually bags in boxes with spigots that keep the air out. That keeps the wine from oxidizing.

[Welsh Rabbit]

You sound you're in the same situation as my uncle in northern Georgia. He has a cabin on a mountain lake and a country general store nearby. Then the lake became a popular place for wealthy Atlantans to build weekend homes (after they saturated a lake to the south). Now instead of domestic beer and beef jerky, the general store sells mediocre wines at a 100% markup (Yellow Tail for $20) and pate.

[#1CTYankee]

"Jokes aside--what is worth purchasing in a box that is good enough for a glass after work or with dinner? I have been tempted but I do not know where to spend the big bucks. Suggestions?"

To tell you the truth I don't even recall the brand, I just walk in and pick up a box of Blush for $8.99 and checkout.
I'm an Bourbon and Ale man so I don't even know what it tastes like.

[kinsman redeemer]

fascinating...

What do they sell at a Bootyque?

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Well, I'm glad to hear that the quality of boxed wine is improving. I got a glass of boxed wine free with my dinner once, and it was like Kool Aid and rubbing alcohol. Come to think of it, the food wasn't that great either.

[MineralMan]

"What do they sell at a Bootyque?"

Have you noticed who universally runs these little General Store conversions. Just a play on spelling. My point still stands, though.

I drive around in rural Minnesota a lot these days. The old General Stores are almost completely gone. In their place is the gas station/convenience store. I've noticed that the ones in rural areas carry work gloves and other items you used to buy in general stores.

The old time general store no longer fits the population of even farm country, I'm afraid. I love the places, but they're gone.

As I said, you can find them still, though, near fishing and hunting resorts and other places where folks go camping. They still serve a purpose there. You can buy beer, bread, bacon and worms, along with bad fishing tackle and even a set of spark plugs for your outboard.

It's the only place I see them any more, and I suspect even those will soon be replaced with a gas station/convenience store.

[Red Badger]

YES, I LIKE IT IN A BOX!

AND I LIKE IT WITH A FOX!

I LIKE IT IN A GLASS!

AND I LIKE IT WITH SOME..........WELL, YOU KNOW........

[R. Scott]

I too prefer The Box. I don’t have to hassle with a corkscrew, I don’t need to consume the entire container at once – or use a special cap to reseal the bottle and remove the oxygen. The difference between a “fine vintage” and the common grocery store variety isn’t enough (except for a special dinner) to make me buy a bottle.

[manwiththehands]

The good (?) 'ole days when I drank boxed wines ... you can't beat the price, but it just gave me an excuse to drink more. :)

[R. Scott]

… and when the bottles were empty, we would bring the bottles into the kitchen and refill them...with wine from the box.

And by that time no one knew the difference.

[R. Scott]

MD 20-20?

[ken5050]

Gives new meaning to the term "juice box"

[thefactor]

yup. it was college. the illusion of class was all we needed.

[Tax-chick]

LOL!

[No.6]

class.

[sam_paine]

Black Box Wines - Our Story

While traveling in Europe I discovered boxed wine and grew to love the many conveniences it offered. In Europe, where wine is very much a part of everyday life, a fancy bottle does not sway wine enthusiasts. I learned that European winemakers have been selling fine wine in boxes for years; the savings from not buying costly bottles are passed on to the wine drinker who gets a better wine at a better price. When I returned to the U.S. I was surprised that no one was making fine wine in a box! It was clear to me that I could offer wine lovers a great value if they were willing to trade in the bottle for a higher quality wine in a box. I founded Black Box Wines on the belief that aficionados of fine wine are more concerned with the quality of the wine than the cosmetics of the bottle. Now, for the first time, the U.S. wine drinker can get a truly high-end boxed wine. Black Box Wines are wines of distinction and character, crafted from grapes grown in the world's premier wine-growing regions. Unlike a bottle, our box will keep your wine fresh at least 4 weeks after opening, ensuring that the last glass is as good as the first. I hope you're as pleased with our wine as I am. Ryan Sproule, Vintner

phone: 831-675-5337  ~  info@blackboxwines.com  ~  privacy policy

[ContemptofCourt]

I like "Black Box"...

And regardless of the wine snobs, there are some decent wines to be had in boxes.

[jpsb]

Around here we get Peter Villa in a box, not bad and it's very affordable as an every day table wine. Not a speacial occasion wine.

[Junior]

I drink both. I find no difference in flavor. Indeed, most people cannot tell the difference between $15 and $50 bottles of wine, either.

[Red Badger]

yeah! that's the word I was thinking...............

[Junior]

Ping.