Tested
BOX FRESH
I tried all the box wines in the supermarkets – a Lidl red wins at just £5.74
The best wine pairs nicely with pasta dishes like ragu
BOXED wine has shaken off its poor quality “Chateau Cardboard” reputation to become one of this summer’s most popular vino bestsellers.
Waitrose has reported sales of the paper-packaged plonk are up 18 per cent.
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But which ones taste the best?
Drinks expert Helena Nicklin gives her verdict on eight boxed wines and pouches.
Pink pouch: M&S Coteaux Varois En Provence Rosé
£18, 1.5l (£9 per 75cl bottle), ocado.com and M&S in stores
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THE 1980s’ retro reputation for naff plonk packaged in boxes is long gone.
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These days, the wine quality and choice you can find in cardboard and pouches is way better than it used to be, thanks to greatly improved technology.
On top of that it is often cheaper than the bottle equivalent to buy bagged, and the plonk is so much better for the environment than the glass versions.
Add festival and picnic portability to that and what’s not to love?
Hailing from the lesser-known Coteaux Varois part of Provence, this is your classic, premium pink with very subtle melon and peach flavours.
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It is big on the saline side so, if you like your rosé super- dry, it is a great all-rounder to have alone or with all sorts of food.
Not the cheapest, but it is worth the extra cost.
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RATING: 4/5
Red pouch: M&S Classics No. 29 Argentinian Malbec
£15.50, 1.5l (£7.75 per 75cl bottle)
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WITH wine lovers appreciating the portability, environmental bonuses, longevity and value of boxed and pouched vino, this offers a hefty glug for those who like their reds heavy and flavoursome.
Proving that pouring from a packet doesn’t mean decreased quality, this is a properly punchy drop in a pouch.
With all the hallmarks of a decent Argentinian malbec, it has got notes of raspberry, blueberry and toasty mocha from the oak.
But there is a grilled meat smokiness to it, too.
It’s substantial, if rather lacking in subtlety!
Better with food, I recommend keeping this on the go for when you want just a glass or two with a BBQ, steak or a roast, without the need to open and waste half a bottle.
RATING: 3/5
Red box: Primitivo Puglia Maestro de Pigo
£22.99, 3l (£5.74 per 75cl bottle), Lidl
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PRIMITIVO is the flagship red wine grape from Italy’s Puglia region and it’s well-loved for its full-bodied fruitiness and chocolate-dipped raisin vibes.
This box from Lidl offers super value compared to buying plonk by the bottle, and like most boxed wines it’ll last for two to three weeks once opened, compared to two to three days from a glass bottle.
This one is more elegant than some of the other reds, and works really well when sipped with red meat.
It also pairs nicely with pasta dishes such as lasagne and ragu.
Full of juicy and sometimes sweet fruit, it’s seriously good value for the quality of vino in the glass and will definitely put any worries about poor quality boxed plonk to bed.
A great modern BBQ wine and, of course, it is ideal if you have got lots of glasses to top up!
RATING: 5/5
Red box: Porta 6 Lisboa Bag-in-Box Red Wine
£21.25, 2.25l (£7.08 per 75cl bottle), Tesco
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PORTUGUESE red wine is often made with a blend of local grapes like this and, because no one knows much about them, they can fly below the radar.
But local and different certainly doesn’t mean low quality, as this boxed plum-coloured bevvie proves.
Porta 6 make fabulously complex blended wines and this red plonk packs a very decent punch.
Think brooding, dark bramble fruit, currants, coca and a sprinkle of baking spice.
With a steak, it’s unreal!
It offers very good value for money and it’s an additional nice touch that the box itself has been decorated beautifully with an original painting of the streets of Lisbon.
This is one you’ll keep reaching to for a glass.
You won’t be embarrassed to put it out on the table either, if you have invited friends around for dinner or a drink.
RATING: 4/5
Red box: Refined & Elegant Shiraz
£14.95, 2.25l (£4.98 per 75cl bottle), Asda
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AUSSIE shiraz is usually pretty jammy and vibrant so this boxed version might feel a bit dialled down in comparison – but it offers incredible value for money and will keep you going in glasses of red grapes for weeks.
Having said that, there’s some dusty plum in there and a sprinkle of something spicy, too.
The fruit comes out after it has been sitting in the glass for a while.
This is definitely a food wine – and it will love a bit of grilled or roast lamb.
Keep a box of this to sip with Sunday roasts or for those evenings after work when only a glass of red will hit the spot – but you don’t want to open and drink an entire bottle, or leave half a bottle to waste.
RATING: 3/5
White box: Vina Sol
£20, 2.25l (£6.66 per 75cl bottle), Sainsbury’s
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VINA Sol is a Spanish vino that has developed a real following over the years thanks to its light body and unique style of aromatic, peachy goodness.
From the box, it doesn’t quite sing as well as it does from the bottle, but that light fruitiness is still there.
Think orange and pineapple with a pinch of peach for good measure.
It’s a great one to keep chilled in the fridge for a holiday-esque glass of grapes sipped outside in the summer sunshine, or whenever you just fancy something refreshing, decent and very drinkable.
It is good value for money if you buy the boxed version.
And it’ll pair beautifully with lighter meals, such as fish and salads, or summer chicken dishes.
RATING: 4/5
White box: Amarillo Sauvignon Blanc
£13.99, 2.25l (£4.66 per 75cl bottle), Aldi
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FANS of grassy sauvignon blanc will not recognise the grape in their glass here in this white-boxed version that – rather unusually – hails from Spain instead of the more classic and popular vineyard homelands of France or New Zealand.
There’s no nettle-like green aroma – not even a flash of zingy citrus as you would expect.
Having said that, it’s still extremely gluggable with its dry, simple pear and melon notes.
If you enjoy pinot grigio, you’ll like this, and of course the double whammy of it being bag-in-box and coming from Aldi means this is a vino that definitely gives you plenty of plonk for your pounds.
Well worth trying chilled from the fridge – and it will keep you going for weeks!
RATING: 2/5
White box: Refined & Elegant Soave
£14.95, 2.25l (£4.98 per 75cl bottle), Asda
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SUPER-DRY and crisp with a characteristic subtle yeasty, nutty vibe.
This is an ice queen of a boxed white wine – rather like a cool and mysterious blonde, it’s not giving much away!
Still, there’s nothing at all offensive about it and, well chilled, it’s more than drinkable – just not very memorable.
It pairs with most foods and nibbles or you can simply sip it solo.
A perfect picnic or take-it-away-with you boxed plonk, especially if you need a few glasses to go around.
Ideal for stocking up on, or for slinging in the boot of the car or a cool box if you are planning a self-catering, caravaning or camping trip this summer, but don’t want to splash out too much on supplies.
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It is also a very good one to use for making a kir or wine cocktails – at a price your wallet will enjoy.
RATING: 2/5
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