2008 ~ No. 5    

Blind Tasting Box Wines

Two observations from a blind tasting of bottle vs. box wines.

First, people generally pegged which wine came in a bottle and which featured alternative packaging – either a box or TetraPak.

Second, the wines in bottle were not universally well-received.

Here’s the setup. Last month, I wrote about eco-friendly wines and intended to include the results of a blind tasting. However, my first efforts at gathering a group fell through and the terrific folks at the Marmaduke Wine Club in Pleasantville gamely stepped up to the plate.

There were 11 people, all with an interest in wine but range of palates and experience with wine. They dug into four pairings – pinot grigio, chardonnay, merlot and pinot noir. Each paring was a wine packaged in either a box or TetraPak paired with a comparable bottle, and all alternative-packaging wines were mid-level. (In other words, no Franzia and no $20 bottles.)

One of the Chardonnay wines was bad, so that duo was left out of the results tally. The other wines tasted were: Bandit vs. Kris pinot grigio; Black Box vs. Blackstone merlot; and Vendage vs. Dancing Bull cabernet sauvignon.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the Bandit, which is a TetraPak-packaged creation from California’s Joel Gott. Two club members – John and Patty – both seemed stunned that it wasn’t a bottle wine and that they’d buy it, particularly for picnics. Other positive comments about Bandit include “Nice for a pinot grigio” from Lisa, who did not like the Kris. Likewise, another panelist dubbed Bandit “crisp” but the bottle wine to be “bland.”

Everyone commented that the red wines were harder to figure out, which makes sense, as reds overall tend to me more complex than whites.

One taster called out the Blackstone merlot (a bottle that, at one point, was the best selling red wine in the US) as a thin, delicate box wine, while the Black Box was deemed “more robust” and identified as the bottle. Cat also noted these differences, describing the Blackstone as “pleasant”, noting it had “full-flavor,” and was “sweeter” than the richer, deeper Black Box. Overall, however, club members were generally unimpressed with both wines. Doug described Blackstone as “not super” and Black Box as “not exciting” while Lisa simply said “Yuck” about the bottle wine. Another taster noted that Black Box is the “vin ordinaire” at her house. So, in this round, it’s advantage box wine.

The final pairing offers less controversy. Doug identified Vendage as “very pleasant” and said “liked it” about Dancing Bull, while another taster called the wines, respectively, “satisfactory” and “pleasant.” Thom identified Vendage as bottle by nose and box by body, ultimately declaring it a bottle, perhaps a French wine from a light year. Cat also found the Vendage more sophisticated, noting that Dancing Bull would be a good barbeque wine. Let’s call this round a draw.

At the end of the tasting, participants were asked if their impressions of box wine had improved, with most participants nodding their heads. (For the record, Thom said “not much” and another taster flat-out declared no.) Several participants said they would buy box or TetraPak wines in the future, particularly for summer patio parties, barbeques and everyday drinking.

Which seems to be the right attitude and best use of these wines. Game, set and match to the alternative packages!

France’s Jura Region

We have many things for which to thank Louis Pasteur: the rabies vaccine, the germ theory, pasteurization. Oh, yes, and wine.

Let me explain. Pasteur’s purview as a professor at the University of Lille included a mandate to find solutions to problems besetting local industries – problems like how to keep wine from spoiling during fermentation. Pasteur discovered that yeast actually caused fermentation and was not a by-product of the process. Thus, winemakers could better harness the process and implement better quality control. (This article offers an elegant explanation. Scroll to Alcoholic Fermentation, about 1/3 of the way down.)

Pasteur also happens to be from France’s Jura region – an area that was recently brought back to my attention.

Jura is on the far Eastern border of France, parallel to Burgundy and nestling next to Switzerland. The area is best known for their vin de paille (a very sweet wine) and vin jaunes (which get their distinctive yellow color from deliberate oxidation under a yeast flor when matured in casks.)

The area’s winemakers also produce a number of dry style wines from noble varietals like chardonnay and pinot noir as well as regional grapes like savagnin (white), trousseau and poulsard (reds).

Years ago, I’d tasted several wines from here and loved them for their earthy, raw flavors – imagine what wine used to taste like before seemingly every one of them became a giant fruit bomb in search of a high Parker score. Then, at a tasting, I spied a bottle on the table and had to give it a whirl.

The bottle was a chardonnay from Domaine Ganevat. The winemaker, Jean-Francois, is the 16th generation to manage this family estate, which uses organic and biodynamic techniques in the vineyard.

The “Les Chalasses” is made from old vines – the first vineyard was planted in 1902, others in the 1950s. It had a full, rounded feel and crisp texture. Its earthy-mushroom qualities dominated, but did not overpower, the playful notes of orange and lemon that were hiding underneath. This wine intrigued me in the best way and I wanted more. Retail: $36 Rating: B2

(Rating?? Yes, I’m doing ratings. Keep reading for more information.)

Wines of Note

For a long time, I’ve resisted rating wines. I mean, who am I to tell you what’s good and what’s bad? Plus, the standard 100 point scale seems ineffective and I hadn’t come up with a good solution – until now.

It’s not my plan to review wines regularly, or attempt to build a comprehensive database of reviews. But, since I do taste and write about so many wines, some sort of guide seems in order.


The scale is simple. The first score is a letter grade, A through F, A being the most sublime, well-crafted, transcendent wine ever; C is an average wine – properly crafted and a good quaff – and F is a wine that shouldn’t pass anyone’s lips, ever.

The second is a number that represents value, with a ranking of 1, 2 or 3. Of course, 1 is the best value – say, a $10 wine that drinks like a $30 one. And 3 is a wine that tastes like something less than what you paid for it. Most wines will likely be 2s – a fair price for the wine. This rank is mostly about dollars, but since other factors, like who the winemaker is, also come into play, I’ll try to offer some explanation in the description.

I’m open to feedback on this system, so please let me know if you think it’s great, terrible or could be refined in some way.

Without further ado, here are some thoughts on wines I’ve tried recently.

Aviemore Cabernet Sauvignon: Powerful and lush, soft and enticing – can you ask for anything more from a Napa Cab? Well, yes, and this one delivers. It is made by David Phinney of Orin Swift, one of California’s best young winemakers. The wine is dense and dark with layers of chocolate, plum, black pepper and fresh herbs. Retail: $33 Rating: B1

Oreana Verdelho 2006: I love this Portuguese grape for its flavorful, full-bodied feel and softly floral flavors. It’s not hugely popular in the US (it’s grown mostly in Australia, Spain and, of course, Portugal) so finding one is a nice treat. This lusciously refreshing cuvee absolutely sings on the plate. Only 99 cases produced. Winery Price: $22. Rating: B2

Lopez de Heredia Rioja Riserva Tondonia 1999: This family estate adheres to the winemaking doctrine established way back in the 1880s. The result is another wild, rustic wine that still seduces with a rakish charm. The blend is fairly classic Rioja - 75% tempranillo, 15% garnacha and 5% each of graciano and mazuelo. Retail price: $49 Rating: C3

Carlei Green Tre Rossi 2005: I had to write about this wine for one reason. It’s a blend of grapes I’ve never seen put together before – shiraz, nebbiolo and barbera. Typical Aussie insouciance! The wine slapped me like a leather glove on the face, a bracing combination of earth, roasted meats and dark fruit with just a slight seasoning of pepper. Retail price: $40 Rating: B3