You know, you have seen them. Wine in a box. They tend to be table wines, not special vintages as the general public is as yet not quite accepting of this new packaging. But maybe its time we rethink the need to struggle with the traditional glass bottle and the infernal cork?
Wine makers have tried plastic corks to save on bucks (and actually the plastic corks work way better in keeping air out of the bottles) but they are as yet not used on expensive wines. Fact is we like the sizzle too and not just the steak. The flash and flair of the waiter opening up that 200 dollar bottle of wine at your table and letting you have a sniff of the cork, then a small taste. Now who ever sends the wine back at that point anyway? Somehow it would be crass perhaps and unbefitting of that 200 dollar of wine if it were to come to you in a small carton by the tetrapak people? Its all a show and the show must go on.
But for us common folk, not often at a table where a 200 dolllar bottle of wine is being served, I say that the time of the tetrapak has arrived. Yours truly has given in to the draw and finally purchased a copy. Previously Iv only seen them in brick form containing around 2 bottles of wine. Now that would be perfect for a party but not for personal consumption. Currently I do like the 4 tiny glass bottles in a pack that we can get, with each bottle being about 180cc or equivalent to a glass of wine. Those generally equal the cost of buying a 750cc (roughly 4 glasses worth) glass bottle with the infernal cork. Yesterday I came across a 500cc tetrapak of Vendange Cabernet Sauvignon (a noble grape), the stated equivalent of 3 glasses of wine on the package. The billionaire Rausing brothers are adding to their extreme fortune again with wine in a tetrapak. Now, Iv just had a glass of this wine and I can assure you its every bit the same as the exact wine that comes in a glass bottle from the same maker. Totally the same. And I dare say, if you didnt see the tetrapak box you would be just fine accepting the wine if it came to you in a glass. Poured and ready to go.
Airlines such as EVA have been roundly criticized as having bad wine in airline reviews as soon as the customers found out the wine came “from a box” as it were. Because its lost that snob appeal. In many cases its been the exact same wine. I certainly cant fathom carrying the extra weight of the glass bottles on a plane and having the stewardess struggle with those dang corks. I hate those bloody corks ok? They dont always come out in one piece. And even if they do, its like pulling teeth!!
We havent liked the glass bottle with the plastic cork and we havent liked ,as consumers, the glass bottle with the bottlecap (makes it cheap doesnt it?). Now we are against the box. But I say for many occasions it makes perfect sense. However, we should perhaps keep the box out of sight. If EVA and other airlines simply poured the wine into the small plastic glasses we get in the air rather then serving it straight out of the box, I dare say the customers would nary know the difference.
So go ahead, get yourself one of those tetrapak bottles of wine and drink. No difference to the wine inside. Wine doesnt further age in the glass bottle anyway, not really. And we can save a bit of money too this way. This box of three glasses worth of wine was only 3.75. The same wine in a 750cc glass bottle from the same maker typically runs 7 to 8 dollars.
Its going to be awhile before that 200 dollar bottle is going to come to you in a tetrapak but I dont see why most table wines and wines that you buy that are under 10 bucks a 750cc copy shouldnt come in such an easy form?
Cheers !
