Often associated with a lower price point and quality, boxed wine is in the midst of a renaissance 

When you hear the words “boxed wine,” what do you think of? If you’re like many people, you imagine college parties and other gatherings where binge drinking happens – in other words, quantity over quality. You would be correct in the first part of that assumption – boxed wine does provide a larger quantity than a standard bottle of wine. You would, however, be incorrect in regards to quality. Boxed wine has long been the black sheep of the wine world, but in recent years, it has surged in both popularity and quality while maintaining its lower price-point.

Boxed wine may seem like a recently released beverage, but it has been around for decades. It originated in Australia in 1965 and was created by a winemaker named Thomas Angove. The original version did not have a spigot, but it did use the packaging we associate with it today (a plastic bladder that typically holds about three liters of liquid held inside a corrugated box). 

Boxed wine has evolved and spread globally since its creation. It has spiked in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic. During a single week in March 2020, boxed wine sales increased by 53% compared to its sales in that same week in 2019. 

While alcohol sales spiked in general during the pandemic, the popularity of boxed wine was a curious development. However, to enthusiasts who eschew its negative connotations, the case for boxed wine is clear (and quite pandemic-friendly): it is easy to deliver and is available in large quantities, meaning fewer trips to the grocery store and a larger reserve of provisions for a world that has shifted temporarily from real-life happy hours at bars to virtual ones at home.

Despite the growing popularity of boxed wine, many myths surrounding it remain. We will dispel five of those myths: 

• Boxed wine is lower quality
• It does not stay fresh for long
• There aren’t many varieties
• Canned wine is overtaking boxed wine as the best alternative to bottles
• Boxed wine is bad for the environment

1. Boxed wine is lower quality

The idea that boxed wine is of lower quality likely springs from the early days of the product. It has historically been less expensive to buy than bottled wine because of how much cheaper the packaging. Therefore, many producers of less expensive wine have favored boxed wine as a packaging solution. Years ago, one would not be incorrect to note the lower quality of boxed wine, but in today’s market, high-quality wine producers, including Domaine Bousquet, have begun offering this packaging.  

Furthermore, taste tests have shown that both affordable and expensive wine can be delicious. When luxury winemakers begin using boxed wine packaging, they can offer lower prices without compromising on quality.

2. Boxed wine doesn’t stay fresh for long

Boxed wine actually stays fresh for longer than bottled wine. Boxed wine can remain fresh for about a month on average – sometimes up to six weeks. Bottled wine, on the other hand, should be consumed within a day or two of opening. 

3. There aren’t many varieties

Today’s world of boxed wine offers much more than just what is found in the drugstore. A quick search reveals many options of varying qualities – all of which are quite affordable. Take Domaine Bousquet’s Natural Origins Unoaked Chardonnay Bag-In-Box. It is under $20 and offers tropical and citrus aromas with a medium body and fruity palate. 

4. Canned wine is overtaking boxed wine as the best alternative to bottles

Canned wine has certainly emerged as a popular option thanks to its portability and millennial-focused branding. It reduces the pretension that can be falsely associated with the wine world while eliminating the need for a wine opener. Does this mean canned wine has leapfrogged boxed wine to become the best bottled wine alternative? 

Certainly not. While canned wine can be a great choice, a box of wine offers a larger quantity. A can of wine contains about two – three glasses. A box of wine contains up to four bottles. Boxed wine is ideal for sharing and better suited for longevity. A can of wine cannot be sealed up after being opened and it is not necessarily a high enough quantity to be split with friends.

5. Boxed wine is bad for the environment

Due to its reliance on plastic for the bladder, boxed wine has often been seen as bad for the environment. This idea is outdated; boxed wine uses much more ecologically friendly packaging nowadays, and it can reduce carbon emissions through the shipping process. Boxed wine generates about half the carbon dioxide emissions as a standard bottle of wine due to its difference in volume when shipping. 

Bag-in-Box wine from Domaine Bousquet

Domaine Bousquet in Mendoza, Argentina is an award-winning producer of both boxed and bottled wine that is organic, vegan, and sustainable. Domaine Bousquet’s Bag-in-Box wine is available in chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, and Cameleon malbec at an affordable price that never sacrifices quality.