Box Wine Drinkers…Our Day Has Finally Come

Well, I’ve finally gotten around to it. Today I address the name of this blog site: Life On A Box Wine Budget. Yes, it’s a little wordy. And, yes, after three and a half years of typing it, I STILL fumble on the keypad. But, my BWB partner and I agreed that it pretty much sums up our lives. An interesting turn of events has come into play, though, that could be a game-changer for box wines. What is it, you ask? Box wine is becoming socially acceptable. That’s right. Drinking from a box might not carry the stigma it used to. Which means…we Box Winers can now proudly dispense from that tap, unafraid of social backlash. Well, that might be overstating it a bit. But not much, actually. I recently came across some interesting articles praising the virtues of boxed wines, all of which included some of my standard brands. It was quite liberating as I always feared the disdain of fellow shoppers upon eyeing a box in my cart, hence the habit of burying it under other items. But NO MORE!! I can now walk with my head held high as I saunter the store aisles, although, honestly, I might still feel the need to tell the strangers I pass that, “Yes, it’s a respectable purchase now. I swear.” Okay, so it might take a while for me to feel completely confident… But, seriously, it’s not bad wine. I make this bold pronouncement as one who admittedly knows NOTHING about wine. Well, except that I did learn how to taste it correctly during a trip to Napa a few years ago. Something I like to make kind of a big deal about.

Last summer, while vacationing in Door County, WI with my family, we decided to devote a day to wine tastings. At our first stop, I made it a point to teach my son the art of proper wine tasting. It was a red wine and I was demonstrating how to roll the glass in order to see the “legs” of the wine (I think that’s right anyway…) Eagerness got the best of me, though, as my wine proceeded to slosh over the rim of the glass and spill down the front of my BRAND NEW blouse. Not missing a beat (he IS a drummer, after all) Peter rolled his eyes, slugged down his sample and continued down the list of the offerings, as though he had no idea who the crazy wino lady with the wine-soaked shirt was. The large blotch on my blouse did not deter me from continuing on to other wineries. I’m not a quitter and, as a parent, I thought that was an important lesson to teach my children. Speaking of kids, my youngest daughter was eighteen at the time and, thus, not old enough to join us in the fine art of wine tasting, though we did let her try a little. (And for you cynics reading this, she really doesn’t drink) The first sample she thought wasn’t too bad, but did not want to finish. The second resulted in an expression of utter disgust and announced that she was done with the tastings. “You didn’t like it?” I asked. “UGH, it tastes like a Sharpie.” “You mean, like a permanent marker?” Yes, that’s exactly what she meant. Not sure how she would know that, but, again, as a parent, I was pretty sure I didn’t want to know. (Lots of parenting lessons today) She now she refers to all wine as Sharpies.

Anyway, back to the articles… Rather than copying them here, I am including the links. Each has their list of the “best box wines” along with a review of the wine, cost and some pairing ideas. And for you wine snobs out there, don’t think that, just because a wine is clothed in a bag inside a box, that it is automatically meant for the less fortunate wine drinkers. One featured box costs a whopping $90.00. That’s right, your eyes did not fail you.  NINETY DOLLARS. So, yeah,…lose the attitude and let us box wine aficionados into your club. We can learn to be snobs…

A fun thing I saw in one of the links was a list of  4 surprising pairings. And, the list did not disappoint. These are definitely surprising:

1. Goldfish baked cheddar crackers with Riesling

2. Cheerios with Nigori Sake

3. PBJ with  Argentine Torrontes

4. Raspberry fruit snacks with Rosé

And in case you’re wondering if I’m on a mission to turn youngsters into Sharpie drinkers, this list was compiled by a real wine guy, Master Sommelier (fancy title for a real wine guy) Roger Dagorn.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/03/dining/reviews/boxed-wines-review.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/food-products/wine-reviews/best-boxed-wines

http://www.realsimple.com/magazine-more/inside-website/daily-finds/best-boxed-wines-00000000019815/index.html

PS: Wondering how to remove red wine stain? Shaving cream. Weird, but true.

PPS: We here at Life On A Box Wine Budget also like wine in bottles…