Is There Such A Thing As Quality Boxed Wine?

The life of any party, a standard box of wine has around 20 glasses at a comparatively low price point. So low, that you may be wondering if it's possible to find quality boxed wine. Food Republic spoke with May Matta-Alia, President of In the Grape, about her take on the situation and how to identify the quality of this buy-in-bulk booze.

"Yes, it is absolutely possible to buy good quality boxed wine," she told us immediately. "I would suggest following the same recommendations I do for bottled wine: Let the reputation of the producer or importer guide your decision." Not all boxed wines are mass-produced in factory vats, pumped full of additives to make them palatable. However, buying a bulk version of cheap wine from a vintner famous for churning out quantity over quality is the fastest way to secure subpar booze.

"It is not an issue of grape variety when it comes to the boxed wine; all grapes can be viable candidates," Matta-Alia informed us. "More importantly, though, is that the wines should be fresh. The real issue with boxed wines is that they do not age well, nor are they meant to, so the wines will have a shorter life span and should be consumed within a smaller window than a wine in [a] bottle." However, proper storage methods preserve the taste of a box of wine after opening it far longer than an uncorked bottle.

Unopened boxes of wine follow the same storage rules as unopened bottles: Keep them in dry, cool areas. The box itself should protect your wine from light, but direct sunlight may heat up its contents, so keep it in a cabinet or fridge until you're ready to enjoy it.

Opened boxes of wine preserve their taste better than open bottles because, as the bag empties, it deflates, removing excess oxygen. Still, you'll want to keep the box in a low-oxygen environment to prevent any minor, unnecessary exposures to the air. Your fridge is perfect for this and has the added benefit of keeping it chilled, slowing down oxidation. Just be sure to store boxed wine upside down to avoid unsightly drips from the spigot.

If storage space is tight, and you simply can't store it upside down, try securing the spigot by stretching a small water balloon or finger cot over the opening. You'll have to change it to prevent wine from crusting over the spigot, but it also helps further reduce the amount of oxygen that may creep in through the gap. This method is also great for enjoying your wine outside where bugs may be attracted to its sugars and swarm the opening.