These three wines have completely changed my perception of boxed wines

What’s the first thing that pops into you head when you think of boxed (or more accurately, bag in box, “BIB”) wine? Well if you’re like most, your first thought is likely the dreadful quality of the BIB wines.

That’s certainly been my experience, the handful of BIB wine I’ve had have been “Meh” at best. To my palate, they’ve been overly confected with subtle chemically notes (there are 75 FDA-approved additives for wines including artificial ingredients for color or flavoring). Granted, a handful of data points isn’t much, but for me, it was enough to ignore the BIB segment altogether despite so many “premium” or even “luxury” BIB offering in the market.

That’s unfortunate, because I’m aware that BIB wines offer a lower-carbon footprint than wines in glass bottles. And these days, “drinking responsibly”, not only means how much we consume, but also applies to sustainability for me.

So when I was offered the opportunity to taste a few BIB wines made from organic grapes, it piqued my interest because it solves one of my issues…I want to know as much as I can about what’s in my wine.

If a producer cares enough to make a wine with organic fruit, then I surmise there’s low/no risk of artificial ingredients or coloring.

Demand For BIB Wine Growing

According to Wine Business.com” While cans are the hot new alternative to glass packaging, they represent less than 1% of the value of wine sold through Nielsen off-premise outlets. Box wines have posted far stronger growth from a much higher base, accounting for 9% of the value of all wines sold through Nielsen channels. There’s a good reason for this: Boxes marry convenience and economy, constituting a portable, non-breakable package that keeps the wine fresher longer than a bottle of the same size could.

The sales numbers speak for themselves. While 3L and 4L bottles have seen sales drop significantly in recent years, Black Box and Bota Box have been among the bestselling brands in the same period. The growth continued during the pandemic, as boxes logged 31% growth in the 13 weeks ended June 13 (2020). While sales growth moderated to 24% during the latest four weeks, it remains well above the 52-week average of 14%. “We’ve seen an uptick in demand for box wines in recent months that is far greater than overall growth for the wine category,” said Olivier Kielwasser, wine category lead with BevMo! (Beverages & More Inc.)”

Wines Tasted

Disclosure: I received these wines as media samples. I received no compensation for this post, and all opinions presented are my own.

Gratsi Old Country White

Aaron Moore & Stephen Vlahos are the co-founders of Gratsi. Aaron has deep wine industry including running a 48-acre sustainable vineyard in the Western slope of Colorado, specializing in Bordeaux styles and varieties and focusing on eco-friendly practices and techniques. Stephen brings an extensive tech background to the table. Both saw an opportunity to circumvent the three-tier system by creating a direct-to-consumer brand that hit their passion points of quality wines with sustainable practices.

This wine is 100% organically certified Sauvignon Blanc sourced from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, which is a part of the larger Columbia Valley AVA. in Washington State. The wine is produced using minimal intervention and free of unnecessary additives.

Tasting Note:

The Gratsi Old Country White pours a pale straw yellow color with appealing orchard fruit, melon, pineapple, citrus zest, lemongrass, and dried herb aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and white peach, ripe green melon, guava, pineapple, pink grapefruit and lemon zest flavors. 13.5 % abv| SRP -$45 per 3L Box. Additionally, the wine is low sugar certified, Keto-friendly and Vegan. Sold direct-to-consumer via the Gratsi website.

Natural Origins Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon

Natural Origins is the latest venture from husband and wife Labid al Ameri and Anne Bousquet. The entrepreneurial duo also owns and runs the Uco Valley winery and estate Domaine Bousquet, Argentina’s foremost exporter of wines made with organic fruit.

The Natural Origins Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon are South America’s first 3-liter box wines made exclusively from organically grown grapes. 

Fruit for both of these wines comes from Domaine Bousquet’s estate vineyard located in Uco Valley’s Tupungato zone. The Uco Valley is the latest frontier in ultra-high altitude, cool-climate viticulture. It is nestled against the foothills of the Andes, and is about the size of the planted area of Sonoma County in California. Elevation ranges from 900-1,500 meters (2,950-4,900 feet) above sea level. Shallow loam soils are typical in the Tupungato.

Though no vintage is detailed on the box, each is from the 2019 harvest.

Tasting Notes:

The Natural Origins Malbec pours a translucent crimson color with inviting aromas of plum skin, black cherry, spice and cacao. On the palate it’s medium-bodied with lively acidity and black plum, black cherry, dark chocolate and spice flavors. 14.1% abv| SRP -$20 per 3L Box (yes, that’s an incredible $5/ bottle!) Available in major market nationwide. Imported by WISD, LLC.

The Natural Origins Cabernet Sauvignon pours a nearly opaque garnet color with black currant, blackberry and subtle spice aromas. On the palate it’s very fresh with gauzy tannins and cassis, ripe black cherry, ripe blackberry and a hint of dark chocolate flavors accented with appealing spice notes. 14.1% abv| SRP -$20 per 3L Box Imported by WISD, LLC.

These three wines have completely changed my perception of boxed wines. They offer varietal typicity, clean, pure flavors, solid structure and impressive value (especially the Domaine Bousquet offerings, which offer exceptional value) in environmentally friendly packaging. Bravo!

How are boxed wine environmentally friendly?

More than 90 percent of American wine production occurs on the West Coast, but because the majority of consumers live east of the Mississippi, a large part of carbon-dioxide emissions associated with wine comes from simply trucking it from the vineyard to tables on the East Coast. A standard wine bottle holds 750 milliliters of wine and generates about 5.2 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions when it travels from a vineyard in California to a store in New York. A 3-liter box generates about half the emissions per 750 milliliters. Switching to wine in a box for the 97 percent of wines that are made to be consumed within a year would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about two million tons, or the equivalent of retiring 400,000 cars explains Tyler Colman in this NYT Op-Ed article.

Additionally, the boxes are recyclable (though the bags may not be depending on where you live)

Why climate action matters and what you can do:

The United Nations’ climate panel, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (“IPCC”), which is composed of world’s leading climate scientists, recently delivered their most forbidding warning yet about the global climate emergency. U.N. Secretary-General, António Guterres described the report as “a code red for humanity.” explains CNBC.

It wasn’t entirely surprising, but it was still alarming to me. I wondered what else I can do. I’m already recycling, composting, and driving a hybrid electric vehicle. Then I was remembered a quote from Gandhi:

“Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it”

With that in mind, here is a list of actionable things that wine consumers can do. It’s not intended to be comprehensive. In fact, what else would you add to the list?

• Buy local, if possible. It can reduce emissions associated with transportation and distribution. Or seek out producers who have earned carbon neutral shipping certification such as this.
• See out and support wineries that are sustainably producing wines (preferably certified by an independent third party). Look for comprehensive sustainability standards that go beyond farming to include things like water management, conservation, and human resource elements. (Note: Sustainability is a broad term. Click here for some existing standards)
• Consider alternate packaging like canned and bag in box wines
• Seek out and support wineries that are Regenerative Organic Certified “ROC”. Click here to learn more
• Seek out and support producers who are “Certified B” Corporation
• Don’t buy wines in heavy bottles intended to convey prestige. Instead seek out and support wineries using lighter bottles.

Climate Action is vital to building a sustainable world for everyone. But we need to act now!