When it comes to making a decision between a bottle of wine or a box of wine (also known as bag-in-box, or BIB), many people opt for the bottle. Boxed wine has a reputation of being, let’s be honest, not that great. Memories of Franzia might be to blame.
Even though the boxed wine market has been on the rise, and these days it’s being touted as a good value for a solid product, the bottle still holds the people’s trust.
Bottled wine has centuries of tradition behind it, so our attachment to it makes sense. But we’ve found one very good reason to buck tradition and go for the box: after opening, boxed red or white wine stays good for four to six weeks. And that traditional bottle of wine can sour after just one week.
That’s a big difference.
According to Kate McManus, the vice president of marketing at Delicato Family Vineyards, the state of the art bag-in-box technology keeps out wine’s enemies, light and air, and the spout is resealable. Boxed wine is stored in vacuum-sealed bags (inside the box), which prevents air from getting in and oxidizing the wine ― which is what causes wine to spoil. As you pour, the bag collapses inside the box, leaving no residual air. In a bottle, this clearly isn’t possible. So if you’re not likely to finish a bottle of wine before the week’s up, boxed might be the right choice for you.
Plus, “The quality of wine available in boxes has greatly improved,” Jess Brady, wine importer for Pacific Highway Wine and Spirits, told HuffPost. So really, it’s a win, win.
It should be noted that boxed wine does have an expiration date. The vacuum-sealed bags are actually more porous than glass, which means they let in microscopic amounts of oxygen. It’s not enough to be a concern short-term, but enough so that after about a year the wine will start to lose quality.
