A 4-litre cask of Australian white wine Box wine (cask wine or boxed wine) is wine packaged in a bag-in-box. Wine is contained in a plastic bladder typically with an air-tight valve emerging from a protective corrugated fiberboard box. It serves as an alternative to traditional wine bottling in glass with a cork or synthetic seal. It is sometimes called goon,[1] and goon bag[2] in Australia. "Bag-in-box" packaging is used for box wine, as well as other drinks The process for packaging 'cask wine' (box wine) was invented by Thomas Angove of Angove's, a winemaker from Renmark, South Australia, and patented by the company on April 20, 1935.[3] Polyethylene bladders of 1 gallon (4.5 litres) were placed in corrugated boxes for retail sale. The original design required that the consumer cut the corner off the bladder, pour out the serving of wine and then reseal it with a special peg. In 1967, Australian inventor Charles Malpas and Penfolds Wines patented a plastic, air-tight tap welded to a metallised bladder, making storage more convenient.

All modern wine casks now use some sort of plastic tap, which is exposed by tearing away a perforated panel on the box. For the next decades bag in a box packaging was primarily preferred by producers of less expensive wines as it is cheaper to fabricate and distribute than glass bottles. In 2003, California Central Coast AVA–based Black Box Wines introduced mass premium wines in a box, which served to overturn the stereotype that box wines are an alternate packing on inexpensive jug wine. Within the decade premium wineries and bottlers began packaging their own high-quality boxed wine, including French rabbit, Bandit Wines, Octavin, Target, and hundreds of others. This coupled with an increased cultural interest in environmentally sustainable packaging has cultivated growing popularity with affluent wine consumers. Bag-in-box packaging is less expensive, lighter and more environmentally friendly than glass-bottled wine,[5] as well as being easier to transport and store. Typical bag-in-box containers hold one and a half to four 750 ml bottles of wine per box, though come a wide variety of volumes.

The tap utilised by bag-in-box packaging greatly reduces oxidation of the wine during dispensing. best fruity red wine brandsCompared to wine in a bottle which should be consumed within hours or days of opening, bag-in-box wine is not subject to cork taint and will not spoil for approximately 3–4 weeks after breaking the seal.best wine prices boston Wine contained in plastic bladders are not intended for cellaring and should be consumed within the manufacturer printed shelf life. best wines to start drinkingDeterioration may be noticeable by 12 months after filling.best way to ship wine across country

Manufacturers of "higher class" bottled wines[] have complained about the cheapness of "cask" wines, arguing that they provide a cheap means for alcoholics to become inebriated. best wine store parisIn particular, the lower level of alcohol excise levied on cask wine in Australia (compared to beer and bottled wine) has been criticised as encouraging binge drinking. best wine for new years eveThere is also no visible indication, as with a bottle, of the quantity which is being consumed.[] Cask wine in Australia is colloquially referred to as "goon", which is a term derived from the word flagon, meaning a large vessel used for drink,[] or "boxy", in reference to it being packaged in a box. ^ a b Colman, Tyler, Drink Outside the Box The New York Times (August 17, 2008).Bag-in-a-box wine usually consists of a 3- or 5-liter bag of wine inside a cardboard box.

When it’s time to drink the wine, a hole is made along perforated lines on the box and a tap already attached to the bag is pulled through for dispensing. After opening, these wines stay fresh for 30 to 60 days.Exposure to oxygen can cause wine to turn, and the speed can vary with the fragility of the wine, says Helene Hopfer, Ph.D., of the Department of Viticulture & Enology, at the University of California, Davis. “One major advantage of bag-in-box,” she says, “is that you can pour one glass at a time without opening the bag, like you would have to with a bottle.” The bag inside the box slows oxidization because as you use the tap to remove the wine from the bag, the bag collapses and limits the air inside. With a bottle of wine, once it has been opened, the exposure to oxygen means you usually have just a few days before air affects the flavor of the wine.Value: Three liters of wine is about the same as four bottles of wine, and five liters is about the same as 6.7 bottles.

You typically get more for your money when it comes to buying wines in a box. Lorena Ascencios, the head wine buyer for Astor Wines & Spirits, in New York City, says, “You can buy larger-size box wines and save a tremendous amount at the register. I’ll give you an example of a wine we carry in two sizes: Côtes-du-Rhône, Domaine le Garrigon from France. The 750-milliliter bottle costs $13.96 a bottle and the 3-liter box costs $38.99. If you were to buy four bottles, you would pay $55.84, versus $38.99 for the boxed version. You save $16.85 by buying the larger format.”Convenience: Boxed wine is a great choice for picnics and parties. The wine can rest on a table or in the refrigerator and guests can dispense it easily into their glasses. Boxes of wine are also great for times when glass bottles aren’t ideal, like pool parties, camping trips, and sporting events. But even if you aren’t having a large gathering, a box of wine may be worth buying, especially since it typically lasts a month or longer and can fit easily in the refrigerator.

And having a box in the kitchen allows you to use a cup or two for cooking without letting the majority of a bottle go to waste.Environmentally friendly: Boxed wines are believed to have less impact on the environment than more traditionally packaged wines. The cardboard package is recyclable, and research indicates that the entire bag-in-a-box packaging system contributes less to global-warming potential and uses less water and energy than glass wine bottles do. Boxes are also thought to have a smaller carbon footprint than glass bottles, since they are lighter and easier to transport.Stigma: Even though the quality of boxed wine has drastically improved in recent years and you can find a large selection of fresh, even organic wines in boxes, some people still turn up their noses at them. Possibly it’s because they can’t forget the box of sweet White Zinfandel or blush sitting in their parents’ or grandparents’ kitchen, says Brad Nugent, the beverage director at the restaurant Porter House New York.

“The fact is, wine as a whole has gotten better. Producers, sommeliers, and consumers are all better educated and able to make, swirl, and sip higher-quality wine,” he says. “Looking at it from this perspective, it is natural to assume that boxed wine is being held to higher and higher standards and will continue to improve.” Does this mean that your neighbors won’t pooh-pooh your box of wine? But they may change their minds once they taste what’s inside.Palate exhaustion: What if you want to drink Sauvignon Blanc before dinner, Chardonnay with your salad, and a nice Pinot Noir with your lamb chops? Bottles of wine allow you to open and enjoy more than one varietal over the course of a meal. This is particularly important to people who like to pair wines with their food. In this case, large-format boxed wines are not ideal, says Nugent. “The problem with boxed wines for personal consumption [as opposed to for large gatherings] is that you can get tired of them. To finish a box of wine, you have to make it your go-to wine for a few weeks.