Box wine is sometimes jokingly referred to as “Cardbordeaux,” thought of as a college party drink we wouldn’t serve on a sophisticated table. But we’re here to tell you that times, they are a-changin. The newer, upscale boxes from smaller domestic producers or cult European importers are a maybe-overlooked, actually optimal choice for this year’s meal—once opened, they store up to a month in the refrigerator).
In Europe, “bag in a box” wines are a growth segment, popular because they’re sustainable—less packaging, less fuel burned in transportation, smaller carbon footprint—and low-cost, usually coming in at $20 to $40 for four-bottles-worth of volume. Here, they can be an insider trick; one of the biggest markets in the U.S. for this wine are chefs in higher-end kitchens who “want wine that is of a higher quality to use in cooking, and stays fresh longer,” says Camilo Ceballos, wine director of New York–based wine importer Omni Wines.
