CATEGORY
Boxed Red Wines
2008 CHEFSBEST® AWARD FOR BEST TASTE WINNER
Peter Vella
What Makes a Great Boxed Red Wine?
Some everyday wine drinkers consider boxed wine to be a well-kept secret. Though often passed over for the stuff in bottles, boxed wines can be just as good, and their bag-in-a-box packaging gives them longer shelf life by preventing oxidation. Ideal with red meats and pizza, boxed red wine is portable and easily opened—great for informal parties, picnics and family cookouts.
High-quality boxed Burgundy, cabernet sauvignon and merlot should all have an overall balance between grape complexity, basic tastes and the impact of alcohol. In their taste profiles, the fruit’s sweetness and its sour, acidic component should be balanced and have a low impact, with the acid leading.
However, Burgundy, cabernet sauvignon and merlot are all different varietals—meaning they are made from different types of grapes—so each of them should have a different flavor profile.
The flavor of Burgundy should have some complexity, with the notes that lean more toward grapes than fruits like cranberry. It should have some roundness of body and when you hold a glass up to the light, you should see a rich and well-rounded color.
A high-quality boxed cabernet sauvignon should have characteristic flavors—which include oak, pepper, earth and black currant—balanced by moderately heavy tannins. The alcohol intensity should be in balance with the cabernet sauvignon’s complex flavors. The wine should have a full, round body with a long finish. After a good sip, the notes should definitely linger for a few moments.
Boxed merlot should have characteristic flavors such as cherry and blackberry, balanced by soft tannins. The alcohol should be in balance with the merlot’s intensity and complexity. The wine should have a round body with a moderately long finish that is almost as long as cabernet’s.
Product Category Definition
The product judged was defined as boxed red wine for the consumer market, not including bottled wines or boxed white or blush wines. This judging included Burgundy, cabernet sauvignon and merlot wine.
Other Leading Brands:
Almaden, Black Box, Franzia
ONE-STEP IDEAS
For a Basque kalimotxo cocktail, mix red wine half and half with cola and serve well chilled in tall glasses.
Stir together with orange slices and sugar, then chill to create a great party sangria.
Add a little red wine to simmering marinara sauce to give it a more robust flavor.
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FUN FACTS
- A "vintage wine" is one made from grapes that were all or mostly grown in a particular year, and labelled as such.
- The state of California boasts more than five hundred thousand acres of wine grapes.
- Historians believe wine originated nearly eight thousand years ago in what is now Iran.
The ChefsBest Award for Best Taste is awarded to the brand rated highest overall among leading brands by independent professional chefs.
