5 Box Wines Actually Worth Drinking: A Skeptic’s Guide

After a few weeks imbibing virtually solely by the field, my findings had been frustratingly inconclusive. I tasted some wines I hope to neglect and others that truly deserve some respect. I additionally found the format is extremely handy: With a mere press of a plastic spigot, your glass is full. And field wines are handily supersize; most containers comprise the equal of 4 bottles. Lastly, field wines are stated to final a very long time, weeks and even months after opening. (Extra on this later.)

The primary bag-in-a-box wine was produced in 1965 by Thomas Angove of Australia. Mr. Angove’s creation—containing, initially, a mix of Cabernet, Grenache and Shiraz—got here to be referred to as a “wine cask.” It didn’t embrace a spigot; slightly, customers closed the plastic bag themselves with a rubber band, clip or self-sealing tab. Working with Penfolds supervisor Ian Hickinbotham, Charles Malpas, an English inventor transplanted to Australia, created a particular flow-tap, launched in 1967, for the Penfolds vineyard’s Tablecask field wine.

This invention turned the faucet of alternative for all box-wine producers, although the Tablecask wines weren’t an important industrial success for Penfolds and didn’t final lengthy. In line with Peter Gago, Penfolds’s longtime chief winemaking director, “Penfolds’s curiosity in bag-in-box rapidly diminished as its curiosity in solely premium bottled white and purple wines accelerated within the Eighties.”

It’s not onerous to grasp why some producers may wish to distance themselves from field wine: There’s a variety of actually unlucky stuff sealed contained in the cardboard. Certainly, I’d say “actually unlucky” is just too sort an outline for among the wines I purchased this previous month. And given the amount the containers comprise, I used to be caught with the equal of three or 4 bottles’ price of wine I didn’t need. That draw back retains individuals from exploring field wines past their tried-and-true favorites, stated Mike Rose, proprietor of Bogey’s Bottled Items in Southold, N.Y. “If you happen to don’t like that first glass, you possibly can endure by means of [the rest of the box] or prepare dinner with it,” he stated.

One of many tried-and-true, broadly accessible manufacturers Mr. Rose carries, La Vieille Ferme, is a industrial line produced by the Perrins, the identical household that owns the nice Châteauneuf-du-Pape property Château de Beaucastel. The Perrins have been boxing La Vieille Ferme in white, rosé and purple since 2006. (They bottle all three, too.) I discovered all of them enticing however favored La Vieille Ferme Rouge ($21 for 3 liters) greatest. It’s a pleasantly rustic, toothsome mix of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan that winemaker Marc Perrin in comparison with an omelet created with contemporary eggs from the farm: one thing easy comprised of nice substances. He additionally famous that the French are enthusiastic box-wine consumers, particularly younger drinkers who just like the eco-friendly angle: Bins are lighter than bottles, so their transport produces a smaller carbon footprint.

La Vieille Ferme was considered one of seven field wines I attempted that I’d undoubtedly purchase once more. One other I notably favored, the 2020 La Petite Frog ($30 for 3 liters), got here in a field bearing a picture of a beret-wearing frog atop a baguette. Produced within the Languedoc-Roussillon area of France, it’s a crisp, energetic white comprised of the Picpoul de Pinet grape.

As a lot as I favored it, I wasn’t going to drink 4 bottles’ price, so I gave many of the field to my neighbor Tom. That is one other nice side of wine in a field: It’s a lot nicer and extra beneficiant to offer somebody the remainder of your field than the rest of an open bottle of wine.

I additionally gave away many of the 2019 Domaine Bousquet Pure Origins Malbec ($20 for 3 liters) from Mendoza, Argentina. A well-balanced wine with gentle tannins, marked by darkish purple and black fruits, it was daring and flavorful however not excessive. The vineyard’s co-owner, Anne Bousquet, stated their Malbec in a field has solely been accessible within the U.S. since early final 12 months, and it’s already a success.

“It was actually good timing. The gross sales went up very quick—a lot greater than our expectations,” she stated, calling from the Miami workplace of Origins Natural Imports, the corporate she and her husband based to import their wines and different natural wines from all over the world. The wine ships in a container to California, the place it’s put into containers. “It’s cheaper to ship the wine in bulk,” Mrs. Bousquet stated, including that the standard of packaging in California is best, too. “We actually do it for the lifespan of the wine,” she stated. She added that additionally they bundle this fashion for environmental causes.

Lifespan is a giant matter amongst sellers of field wine, and a few slightly outlandish claims are made. Mrs. Bousquet stated her field wine might last as long as three months as soon as opened, so I stored a pair field wines I favored round for some time to see how they fared. I held on to the juicy, herbaceous 2020 Black Field Sauvignon Blanc from Chile ($19 for 3 liters) for almost per week earlier than gifting the remainder to my buddy Burt. Black Field winemaker Ryan Flock had informed me the wine was styled to stay contemporary “as much as six weeks.” After per week in possession of the field, Burt reported that it had modified little or no.

The field wine I held on to the longest, the 2020 Gris Marin Rose Sable de Camargue ($25 for 3 liters), hails from the Camargue area of France. Its field, with a sand and sea picture, jogged my memory of the Côte d’Azur, and the wine inside was nice, with floral notes and brilliant acidity. On day 5 I served it blind to 2 buddies, who favored it. “I’m shocked it’s a field,” considered one of them declared after I revealed what they had been ingesting. However by day 11 the wine was decidedly diminished. The fruit had light, leaving solely acidity.

Maybe my inclination to share sooner slightly than later had been proper. Whereas well-made field wines could be a excellent purchase, I wouldn’t maintain on to them for a really very long time.

OENOFILE / Finest bets in (3-liter) containers

1. 2019 La Vieille Ferme Rouge, $21

Contemporary and a bit fruity, this easy-drinking mix of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan is made by the Perrin household of Château de Beaucastel. This purple is my favourite of the model’s three field wines.

2. 2020 Black Field Sauvignon Blanc, $19

Sourced mainly from vineyards in Chile’s Valle Central, this juicy, zingy white from Black Field (not too long ago bought by E. & J. Gallo Vineyard) remained notably contemporary nicely after the field was open per week.

3. 2020 La Petite Frog Picpoul de Pinet, $30

This crisp, dry, citrus-scented white from the Languedoc Roussillon area of France is comprised of the native Picpoul de Pinet grape. It’s summer time enjoyable in a glass, and the field is terribly cute, too.

4. 2019 Domaine Bousquet Natural Origins Malbec Mendoza Argentina, $20

Proprietor Anne Bousquet stated she hopes field wines will achieve the respect natural wines get now. This gentle, plump purple marked by notes of spice and darkish berry may assist.

5. 2020 Gris Marin Rosé Sable de Camargue, $25

The coastal Sable de Camargue area of the Languedoc, a sun-kissed stretch of southern France, is the house to this gentle, slightly delicate and decidedly floral rosé. Finest consumed inside per week.

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Write to Lettie at wine@wsj.com