Bag-in-box wine is back — here are some of the best and worst in supermarkets

Back in the day, my parents exclusively drank box wine, and still do.

I guess it’s the quantity aspect that is so alluring to many. Plus, the idea of pushing a tap with your glass underneath after a busy day feels heaven-sent, versus wrestling one of those horrendous corkscrews with the metal arms that rise upwards, which you then have to push downwards. Talk about singing for your supper.

And, whereas once the wine inside the box could accurately be described as ‘bad-in-box’, nowadays the quality has gone skyward like Eddie the Eagle on the ski jump of quality. It’s no wonder then that there’s recently been a surge in demand for a packaging format that was once reserved for penny-pinching students and insufferable festival goers. I can say that, I’m one of the latter.

It was Waitrose, of all people, who recently reported that this year, sales of their boxed wine range increased by 18%, 11% last year and 9% the year before. So, let’s take looksee at the benefits of the box vs the bottle. It’s convenient, portable, decent value for money and has a lower carbon footprint as it is 86% lighter than bottle. Boxed wine can keep up to 6-8 weeks after opening compared to 2-3 days for a bottle. There’s no corkscrew wrestling and you can keep them as a permanent fixture in your fridge, no matter what the colour.  

So far, so convincing. But what’s not common knowledge is the difference in flavour between the same wine in bottle vs bag in box. It’s called ‘the headspace bubble’, the air space that remains after filling them. In bottle, it’s minimal, but in a bag, it’s not insignificant. The headspace bubble stays the same no matter the size of the bag, so bigger really is better in the bag-in-box world.

So, without the addition of sulphur dioxide, bag-in-box wine would quicky lose its freshness and oxidate, all thanks to the headspace bubble. Therefore, you’ll typically find elevated levels of the dreaded sulphites in bag in box wines. It’s a balancing act for producers, as too much sulphur dioxide will make the wine taste tarter, harsher and less appealing.

With that in mind, it’s time for tasting. Here are some of the best and worst boxed specimens the supermarkets have to offer.

Very zesty, mouthwatering with lifted blossomy notes and some pleasant saline notes.  

6.2/10

Dry and citrussy, creamy, approachable with notes of lime blossom, peach and lemongrass.

6.5/10

Barely there on the nose with a pleasantly floral palate dominated by elderflower notes, some good fruit intensity and a sherbet-like finish.

6.8/10

A creamy nose with evident oak influence, a buttery palate with marmalade and citrus zest, decent intensity and some length on the finish.

7/10

Insipid on the palate, lacking in fruit intensity, some acidity to give it a semblance of structure with a jarringly unbalanced finish.

3.5

Sulphur dioxide is evident on the nose, there is a smoky bitterness on the palate and though it has some strawberry notes, it lacks the fruit intensity and complexity of the bottle equivalent. Also leaves a jarring bitterness on the finish. (This is an example of an excellent wine in a small pouch format where the sulphur dioxide is extremely evident)

4.5

This one is all cherries, fresh red cherries on the nose with bitter cherry and almond skin on the palate. The tannins are lightly grippy and the finish taste like morello cherries soused in kirsch.

4.5

Opulent fruit on the nose (raspberry, plum), decent texture with sweet fruit character on the palate, just this side of tasting confected, jammy with a longish blueberry finish.

7.5

Light, approachable, fresh, textured, crunchy blackberry and damson fruit character, some intensity and mocha notes on the finish.

8.1

Luscious fruit on the palate with blackberries, mulberries and cherries, light in texture, chillable, jammy and approachable.

7.9

Oak influence is evident on the nose, which follows through and juts out on the palate. Good complexity with liquorice and sour cherry flavours, with a singed caramel note on the finish which I can’t decide if I’m in love with, or not.

7.5

Balanced with enticing cherry, wild berry and Bakewell Tart flavours on the palate, with warming spice, soft tannins and a pillowy texture.

8.2

Juicy with some Shiraz typicity of cassis, liquorice and juicy pluminess, though a little on the lightweight side to score any higher.

7.8

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