Before you clutch your pearls at the thought of your favourite red, white or rosé being poured from a cardboard box, hear us out.
Despite its once-poor reputation thanks to nasty early iterations, boxed wine (or bag-in-box, as the trade refers to it) is having a serious moment. And we are here for it.
Why? Not only is it an easy way of getting your mid-week wine fix without opening and potentially wasting an entire bottle – some can last for up to six weeks versus just a week – but the calibre of these boxes has come on leaps and bounds in recent years as makers cater to our insatiable thirst for convenience and quality.
Better still, boxed wine is easier to ship and store thanks to sturdy and perfectly shaped containers, while avoiding the risk of broken glass in social settings, like the pool, campsite or on the beach.
But the best bit? According to The Wine Society boxed wine can have a significantly lower environmental impact than single-use glass bottles. The reasons vary, but factors include material and transport footprints. Who can ignore that?
Granted, some wines are best left to age in bottles to deliver the depth of flavour that demands high prices in restaurants and shops, but the majority of us aren’t drinking these on a casual Wednesday after work. In which case, boxed wine serves in spades.
Jeremy May, co-founder of UK-based wine company NICE offers quality vino in boxes and cans. He says: “The rise in popularity of boxed wine is testament to the evolving consumer demand for quality and convenience.
At NICE, we’ve seen first-hand how modern drinkers are embracing the format, not just for its environmental benefits, but also for the consistent quality it delivers.”
He adds: “This shift is reflective of a broader trend towards mindful consumption where the story behind the product is as important as the product itself.”
You heard the man. Here’s the best of this much-improved format – all box-fresh for your serving and imbibing pleasure.
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Porta 6 Bag in Box Red Wine
Housed in a fancy box emblazoned with a fabulous illustration, award-winning Porta 6 offers a boxed version of the bottle so beloved in the UK since TV chef James Martin said it was one of the nicest reds he’d tasted in a decade (we imagine he’s gone through his fair share). He’s not wrong with red- and wild-berry flavours plus hints of nut. As good with roasts as it is with pasta.
Buy now £15.00, Asda
Laylo Lot #2: Sauvignon Blanc
Launched by founders Laura Rosenberger and Laura Riches to make boxed wine better, award-winning Laylo serves up a raft of favourites in a boxed format. Our favourite is the Sauvignon Blanc, a light and vibrant wine with pineapple, green-apple and white-peach flavours. No wonder they keep selling out of it (PS. How beautiful is the box?!).
Buy now £36.99, Debenhams
19 Crimes Red Wine Box
Bold and fruit-forward with lipsmackingly good berry flavours, 19 Crimes is just what the doctor ordered for a mid-week sup, its grapes grown and nurtured in south-eastern Australia. We love the name, too - an homage to prisoners who were transported to Oz in 1788.
Buy now £15.50, Tesco
Co-op Fairtrade White Blend Box
This fruity white is made from grapes grown in sun-drenched Breedekloof in South Africa and features surprising complexity. Flavour and format aside, its Fairtrade contributions are changing the lives of people in the small community of Rawsonville, where the winery is based, so you can sip with a clean conscience. We’ll certainly drink to that.
Buy now £20.25, Co-op
NICE Malbec Bag in Box
This London-based start-up makes great-tasting blends from wineries they love while offering them in less intimidating formats such as cans and boxes. The Malbec is a stand-out serving up a medium-bodied wine bursting with juicy, dark fruit courtesy of grapes grown in the foothills of the Andes. Perfect with pizza.
Buy now £19.50, Ocado
The Great Wave Sauvignon Blanc Bag in Box
Fresh, vibrant and distinctively Sauvvy B, this white serves up zesty notes of lime and tropical fruit by the glassful. We love the decorative box, too, evoking long lunches beside the sea.
Buy now £20.00, Ocado
By Amazon Australian Shiraz Red Wine Bag in a Box
Bright, aromatic and juicy – as you’d expect from an Australian Shiraz – this wine has surprising hints of bacon and white pepper we can definitely get on board with. It’s soft and irresistible silky, too, while being great with a cheese board or lamb tagine.
Buy now £23.99, Amazon
Jam Shed Malbec
If you like your wine on the sweeter side – and we mean, really sweet – Jam Shed might just be your bag (quite literally). It’s characterised by red-berry flavours balanced with a subtle hint of vanilla and spice. Serve slightly chilled or even iced as part of a fruit-filled sangria in the summer months. Seriously gluggable.
Buy now £13.50, Asda
ASDA Extra Special Malbec San Juan Boxed Wine
This Malbec from Asda’s Extra Special range calls for a fiery curry with ripe berry flavours that more than hold their own against spicy dishes. Ruby-red in colour, it’s beautiful in the glass once out of the box, too.
Buy now £17.95, ASDA
When in Rome Red Wine Montepulciano
Characteristic of the wines produced in the Abruzzo region of Italy, this Montepulciano is pleasingly medium-bodied with flavours of cherry fruit and notes of crushed black pepper. A weekday winner.
Buy now £27.25, Ocado
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Primitivo Puglia
Dark crimson in colour, this box of Primitivo is rich and smooth with blueberry and plum flavours complemented by a hint of sweet and spicy oak. A worthy partner for a delicious plate of pasta.
£20.00, Sainsbury’s
Adnams Provence Rosé Bag in Box
Pale, dry and pink. What’s not to love about this typically Provençal rosé from Adnams? Not a lot, as it turns out. A blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, it boasts expressive aromas of strawberry and raspberry with vibrant flavours of fresh fruit.
Buy now £39.99, Adnams
Sainsbury’s House Pinot Grigio Blush
It really can be rosé all day when you’ve got a box of this Pinot Grigio blush to-hand. As you’d expect, it’s deliciously crisp and dry, featuring hints of strawberry to make it the perfect summer slurp. Fab with salads – or simply by itself.
Buy now £15.00, Sainsbury’s
BOBO Wines
Can boxed wine ever be good enough for gifting? We weren't sure until we stumbled across BOBO Wines, a new company thinking inside the box. Specialising in organic wine, the selection spans red, white, orange and rose options, each one spotlighting the finest in French viniculture and worlds away from the bottom shelf of a budget supermarket aisle as you can imagine.
Each box contains 2.25L which, helpfully, can slide neatly into the fridge, staying bright and fresh for up to six weeks. Boxes are fully recyclable and wrapped in loud neon labels so you won't even have to bother with wrapping. Win!
From £39.75.
Buy now £39.75, BOBO Wines
