By The Real Todd Harrison | May 30, 2008 | 7:35 PM | 12 Comments
The new "it" thing: Box wine? Say it ain't so!
I never thought I would say it, much less try it, but wines in a box are apparently the "it" thing for wine lovers. Really? I know...it sounds hilarious. It takes me back to the days of sneaking Boones Farm Strawberry Hill in the back of my friend's mom's Dodge Caravan. Some of the brass over at the Green Faucet headquarters know exactly what I'm talking about!
Before I launch into the Lifestyle Whisperer's picks, here's a little history about the "box."
The box wine or sometimes called cask wine was created in 1965 by an Australian named Tom Angove of Angove's. It is essentially a cardboard box with a bag inside. Doesn't this just sound delightful?
In Australia they call these wines "goons" and the bag inside a "goon bag." I used to think the people drinking these wines were goons. I guess that isn't the case anymore. Although many wine drinkers consider box wine a delight of the proletariats, these wines are fast becoming the pleasure of the bourgeoisie. Some say the goons are off the chart-- even Bruce Zaro can't track these bad boys.
So why are these wines becoming increasingly popular? For one, a typical box wine contains 3 or 4 bottles of wine for an average cost of $20.00. It's transportable. Great, I can take the goon all over town. Lastly, there is no reason to let it age. These wines are supposed to be consumed within a year of being made.
If you are daring and want to break free from the social stigma, here are some "goons" to try:
Tindindi Cellars: Tindindi is the brainchild of Jill Beaven and her Husband, Andrew, who is from Australia, of course. The wines come from a producer on the Limestone Coast in South Australia. The Limestone Coast is comparable to California's Central valley. The couple launched Tindindi Cellars with a 2001 Cabernet and 2004 Chardonnay. Jill and Andrew were now the toast of the town in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.
The wines costs about $20.00 and are available in the Northwest. http://www.tindindi.com
Black Box Wines: Ryan Sproule founded Black Box after traveling through Europe and appreciating the many conveniences of wine in a box. Believe it or not many of the Black Box Wines are award winners. Their Merlot was a Gold Medal recipient at the San Francisco International Wine Competition and their 2003 Paso Robles Cabernet won a gold medal at the Dallas Morning News Wine Competition. Other wines include the Napa Valley Chardonnay Reserve, Pinot Grigio and the Black Box Shiraz.
Black Box wines can be found at Beverages and More. http://www.blackboxwines.com/
Wine Cube: If you have ever been in a Target store and traveled down the wine aisle, then you have undoubtedly seen the Wine Cube. In 2007, the Wine Cube Pinot Grigio won a double gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. This was the only goon to accomplish this feat. It retails for $16.00. You say goodbye and I say hello! Other Wine Cube wines include a Shiraz, Merlot, and Cab/Shiraz blend, among others. Dare to dream.
http://sites.target.com/site/en/supertarget/supertarget_wine.jsp
Dtour Macon - Villages: Sit down before you read this. Famed Chef Daniel Boulud and his friends created Dtour wines. Daniel Boulud has some of the most amazing French restaurants I have ever been to. Now, he is peddling goons. Well, Dtour isn't really a goon, I guess. The wines come in a cylinder shaped carton filled with a three-liter bag. It looks something like a milk carton. The white wines are produced from the Macon and Rhone areas. They have produced two Chardonnays, one from each region. They promise red wines are on the way. Don't tease me. I guess because Boulud's name is on the product they can charge more than your average box wine. These wines sell for around $37.00 a carton. The good news is that the carton contains 3 bottles of wine so if you want to take yourself back to circa 1987 and replace the Bartles and James Wine Coolers with a little Dtour, this may be your choice.
I would not be doing my job if I did not mention Franzia Chillable Red. Yes, I said it...Chillable Red. Franzia is still one of the best selling wines in the country. Is that really surprising? Perma-Bear, Michael Pento is worried McDonalds may get rid of the $1.00 menu, what will happen to Franzia's Chillable Red prices? I don't know what Kudlow & Co. has on tap these days, but in my world, this is truly the greatest story never told!
www.franzia.com
Yours truly,
The Real Todd Harrison
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