We tend to get a little obsessed with packaging at Wrap Natural. After all, why ruin a perfectly green product by encasing it in something that could kill the planet? And in this season of wedding showers, summer barbecues, and any other occasion for  which you may need a hostess gift, we thought we’d pay homage to the under-appreciated box of wine.

Boxed wine gets a bad rap because, well, it was so bad for so long. But eco-minded vineyards are trying to buck that idea with good-quality, even organic, wines packaged in boxes. Jean-Charles Boisser, who manages a decades-old French vineyard with a branch in Napa Valley, has decided to sell all his (organically grown) California wines in TetraPaks, tall, narrow boxes that hold about one glass more than the standard bottle. And all it takes is a simple press of a spout to pour a glass of Bota Box, California’s non-organic but award-winning vineyard that uses the much-maligned bag-in-a-box style to package four liters of wine for the price of a single bottle.

If the taste doesn’t convince you, consider a few other pros of boxes (which look just as good as bottles wrapped in our Furoshikis):

• Boxes are much lighter than glass, which means they don’t mess with the gas mileage of fuel-guzzling trucks.
• Boxes can be shipped flat, unlike glass, so more empty boxes fit inside a truck than empty wine bottles.
• No shards of glass lingering on the concrete when your next pool party gets a little wild!
• Boxed wine lasts longer. The bag-in-a-box concept actually preserves the flavor of wine and protects it from oxidation, that vino foe that can sour an excellent bottle of wine in a matter of days. So if you live alone or you and your spouse don’t finish an entire bottle in one sitting, you can relax after a hard Monday at work knowing that, when you celebrate the end of the week, your wine will still taste as fresh. TetraPaks, boxes without the bag inside, can be collapsed as you drink, allowing for the same type of preservation.

A lot of wine industry types are starting to realize that clinging to their age-old glass bottles may be bad for business. Some of the trendier restaurants in Los Angeles and New York are experimenting with wines on tap, claiming that it tastes fresher and they have to throw less away. Why not try it at home?

A few things to keep in mind:

• Boxes are relatively new, and most vineyards only use them for the tried-and-true varietals, such as Merlots, Pinot Noirs, and—as every Frenchman knows—the ever-classic Rose. Don’t feel guilty if you buy something more exotic in glass, but give the boxed stand-bys a try.
• The major downside of boxes is that they’re not as commonly recycled as glass. For the bag-in-a-box type, take the plastic bag out of the box and recycle the cardboard, even if you can’t recycle the plastic bag. TetraPaks can be recycled anywhere you can recycle milk or juice cartons (find out if your city accepts them at www.recyclecartons.com.)

–Emily Main

Tags: bottle, box, Furoshikis, packaging, wine, wine tote

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