On Deck: Boxed Wines

Allison is our hostess for our September VTB meeting, and she has chosen Boxed Wines as our theme. Our meeting will take place at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, September 22nd at her home in Arlington, Va.

"Boxed wine" you say? YES! And here's why...

The Problem: Bottled wines often face problems with their corks- authentic corks have the tendency to crumble when they get older. Also, if not properly treated, corks may contain some residual bacteria and ruin a great bottle.

The Solution: Some manufacturers started to replace traditional corks with plastic ones and others started producing wine in boxes. These wines are placed in a box with vacuum-sealed plastic bag lining or 'bladder' inside. While many people were skeptical to this approach and questioned the quality of the wines, today it is accepted in the industry.

Why Boxed Wine Is Great: They are safer to carry (they will not break when dropped), economical (the packaging is cheaper compared to bottled wines), and most advantageously, it extends the longevity of freshness of a wine (when a bottle is opened, it lasts only 1 or 2 days, but a boxed wine is not exposed to oxygen, and the freshness is extended for about a month).

To get you thinking about these wines, here is a link to an article about The best box wines of 2008

Also- Please remember to bring a fact about your wine or the vineyard it came from.

I don't want to list directions to Allison's house here online- so please see the e-vite for more information. See you on September 22nd!