Don't Be A Snob Drink Boxed Wine
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There you have it, drink boxed wine.
As we have published before, wine has a life; it is born, it ages, and yes...
It can die.
"Wine is unique. It is diverse, it is a living thing.
I discovered how wine has an ending (besides it being consumed by those enjoying it) when I read an article on LoveToKnow. One way wine “dies” is after the bottle is opened (aging while the bottle is sealed will be the subject of discussion in the future). Once opened and partially consumed wine begins a decline. Different wines decline at different rates." FoodBlogger
If a cork goes bad, the wine goes bad. Wine can suffer from cork taint.
"Cork taint is a broad term referring to a wine fault characterized by a set of undesirable smells or tastes found in a bottle of wine, especially spoilage that can only be detected after bottling, aging , and opening. Though modern studies have shown that other factors can also be responsible for taint – including wooden barrels, storage conditions and the transport of corks and wine – the cork stopper is normally considered to be responsible, and a wine found to be tainted on opening is said to be corked or "corky". Cork taint can affect wines irrespective of price and quality level." Wikipedia
Cork taint or corked "means that the cork of the bottle has been infected with a bacteria called Trichloroanisole ('TCA' for short). Cork taint gives the wine a musty or moldy odor.
I sampled a bottle of wine I knew had cork taint. The musty odor was prevalent, like entering a damp, musty basement or smelling a wet dog who has rolled in the mud. The taste of the wine from the bottle I sampled was stale with that backdrop of mustiness. "Wet cardboard" are good words to describe the taste.
So, what is the best way to avoid cork taint? Of course, buy wine with a screw top. No cork, no cork taint (although the aging barrels can sometimes cause "cork taint"). Another way to avoid cork taint and make your wine live longer?
Drink boxed wine...yes, I said it again. Why? The wine is contained in never dying plastic (it takes a very long time for the plastic to decline)
"Unfortunate for mother nature, but a stroke of luck for wine drinkers, Dieline says that plastic doesn't really expire — at least for not for hundreds of years. Because it takes generations to degrade, plastic makes for great wine storage. The best part of boxed wine is that it isn't topped with a potentially contaminated cork. Instead, most boxed wines are poured from a plastic spout connected to the plastic bag making it a well-preserved, easy-to-pour, and guaranteed-fresh wine storage method.
Next time you can't afford to run the risk of drinking cork-tainted wine, opt for boxed wine to enjoy all of its natural complexities and inspiring aromas." The Lush Life
Some people may think the life of boxed wine will be shorter than bottled wine. Some may be too concerned with plastic and its environmental impact.
Fortunately, there are answers to each of these concerns.
"There are, in fact, a lot of advantages to the container. For starters: Boxed wines stay fresh for up to six weeks, while an open bottle will go bad after one. Boxed wines are also a lot easier to transport and manage in social settings (no need to worry about broken glass on the floor or by the pool.) Then, there’s the environmental impact: boxed wine is a lot more eco-friendly—producing around half the carbon emissions that a bottle does." Vogue
Boxed wines are made from cardboard with a plastic bag in the middle of the box. Therefore, even if you are preserving the wine for longer periods in the box and recycling the box, what about that dreaded plastic bag? Are you contributing to more plastic in our oceans?
The bags likely are not recyclable. Therefore, the issue of recycling the boxed bag appears to remain, but the bags can be repurposed for other uses. Tree Hugger suggests you cut off the spout and use the bag as a reusable sandwich bag.
There is one more issue. Is boxed wine greener? Whether boxed wine is greener depends on the box.
Overall, the benefits of drinking boxed wine outweigh the negatives. Moreover, just because a wine is boxed does not mean its quality is less. Like any wine, the packaging does not mean the quality is better.
What makes a good wine are the grapes, the fermentation process, and the proper aging. Putting a good wine in a box does not mean it becomes a bad wine.
Just because wine is boxed does not mean Wine Folly's four pillars of good wine aren't present:
· Great grapes
· Great winemaking
· Longterm vision
· Art
Celebrate life by drinking great wine...out of the box.
Wait, don't be a wine snob. Celebrate life by drinking boxed, screw-top, and corked bottled wine...find a good wine and enjoy.
Cheers!