Box wines , much like stelvin closures (screw caps) are a stigma in wine that people need to get over and realize that it is not only here to stay, but a better way to go. In Europe they have been drinking higher end box wines for years. My personal belief with box wines is the same as with tradition wine bottles, the packaging is irrelevant, if the wine is good going in, then it is good coming out. The old school Franzia, Almaden, and Peter Vella are still around with their Chillable Reds’, Refreshing Whites’, Rhines’ etc.. , but what we are also starting to see over the last few years are  varietal wines from known producers like Hardy’s and Banrock Station from Australia. From the US, box wines from Fisheye and Blackbox are leading the way in terms of quality.

Some other benefits of box wines are environmental, freshness, and economical. Environmentally, a 3ltr box creates a lot less waste then the 4 750ml or 2 1.5ltr glass bottle equivalents. For freshness, because the bag in the box is airtight, the wine will stay fresh for 4-6 weeks after opening. And best of all box wines will save you money. A 750ml bottle of Fisheye Pinot Grigio is $6.99, multiply that by 4(for 3 liters) and you have $27.96, yet a 3 ltr box of Fisheye is $17.99.

Here is a list of some of the better quality box wines that we carry and their price, remember these boxes are the equivalent of 4 bottles of wine.

Blackbox
Sonoma Merlot $29.99
Pinot Grigio (Italy) $25.99
Napa Valley Chardonnay $29.99
New Zealand sauvignon Blanc $25.99
Shiraz $25.99
Columbia Valley Riesling $25.99
Fisheye                                                   
Pinot Grigio $17.99             4 750ml-$27.96
Shiraz $17.99
Hardy’s(Australia)
Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot $16.99   4 750ml-$23.96
Banrock Station
Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Merlot $17.99           4 750ml-$27.96
Folonari
Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir $18.99        2 1.5ltr-$21.98
Turning Leaf
Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir $21.99         4 750ml-$27.96

So another holiday season has ended and I've got to say it was definitely an exciting one for me. I had alot of fun selecting wines for people either to give as gifts or to share at holiday parties. I hope that alot of great memories were made with these wines.

The leaves are changing colors and the air is definitely getting colder, fall is here. It's hard to believe but the holidays are coming up fast. So the question becomes what do I drink with my holiday meals. Well, Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, so lets start there.

If you think the time for drinking rose wine is over, now that summer is just a memory... hold on,

The air is turning colder, the leaves are changing color, and the holidays are approaching, for serious wine drinkers, this is a very exciting time of year.

Every year we get quite the assorment of Harvest and pumpking beers. Every year it seems that we run out before Thanksgiving. This year...

The cool weather is starting to roll in, and for alot of us this means "brown liquor" season. That chill in the air makes us think of Bourbon, Scotch, and other whisky's like Crown Royal or Jameson. This winter I want to get people thinking about Cognac.

It's a very exciting time for wine drinkers. Fall is here and that means big, full bodied, warm you up on the inside wines. It also means the rturn of some of my favorite "cult" wines.