As children we were taught not to judge a book by its cover. The adult version of the lesson applies to wine. Boxed wine gets a bad rap because it comes it cardboard. But why, if what’s inside it is as good as what is inside any glass bottle? “With any wine, whether packaged in box or bottle, it all begins in the vineyard with quality fruit,” says Kim Moore, the director of marketing for Constellation Brands, which owns multiple wine companies, some of which offer boxed wine. “Once we secure quality fruit, the process of converting the grapes into wine juice via fermentation and aging appropriately in stainless steel or with oak, is exactly the same as it would be for any bottle counterpart,” she assures. “The difference between the two simply comes in the form of the way the wine is packaged.” Obviously, boxed wine is not the type of wine you buy and age, unlike bottles. But that is the only way the box will affect the wine. Granted, not every boxed wine is a prize but not every bottle is either.

Why hate on something that’s cheap, delicious and makes you feel spectacular? Plus, swapping the glass with the box is good for the environment. So, let’s make a toast to the best boxed wines out there: Available in 1 liter and ml sizes, these Tetra Packs are eco-friendly. The company claims that what they save on packaging, they spend on quality wine production, and we believe them. Bandit pinot grigio has won multiple awards, but they also make merlot, chardonnay, cabernet and a red wine blend. The chic package that this silky smooth beverage comes in is one of the most green options out there, and it isn’t just because yellow and blue make green. Not only do they package in Tetra Packs, their shipping and production methods are eco-friendly because they eliminate excess packaging and purchase offsets from Renewable Choice Energy, making Y+B the only 100 percent carbon neutral company in the wine business. And good news for you healthy wine drinkers (whatever that means): it’s organic!

France is the wine capital of the world, and if they are willing to put their wine in a box, it clearly can’t be that detrimental of a decision. French Rabbit’s wines are sourced sustainably from the Pays d’Oc region of Southern France. Their pinot noir is a crowd favorite. If a large company that owns multiple vineyards and bottled-wine brands decides to add a boxed-wine brand to their repertoire, it has to be good. Constellation Brands put their reputation for quality wine on the line by introducing Black Box Wines, and it was a genius move. Black Box Wines has won many awards for the company, with 48 Gold Medals and 27 “Best Buys” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The sleek black box will make a classy addition to any bar and the smooth wines pair well with gourmet dishes. If you aren’t ready to go from glass to cardboard, ease into the idea with wood. Wineberry’s boxed wine comes in avant-garde wooden boxes and multiple varietals. Don’t worry, the taste isn’t too woody.

Bota Box is also owned by a much larger wine company, Delicato Family Vineyards. DFV owns 15 brands, most of which come in a bottle, using grapes from Napa, Lodi, Monterey and Sonoma. One complaint about boxed wines is that they don’t last but Bota Box uses FlexTap technology, which makes it possible to keep premium wine fresh for more than a month after opening with no exposure to light and air.Go on – admit it.  red wine best sellersAt some point, we’ve all hugged the life out of a cheap box of goon and regretted it the next day.  countertop wine cooler best buyRegardless of that hangover – the humble cask holds a proud place in our nation’s history, it has been the training wheels for many of us who’ve gone on to become wine lovers. best sweet wine under 50

Tuesday 24 February 2015 will see this brilliant Aussie invention honoured with a 50th birthday party in the posh Sydney suburb of Vaucluse. The Wine Wankers have started the party early however, by tasting our way through 20 of the nation’s most premium cask wines.  We wanted to know; has the quality of cask wine improved, and if so – what is Australia’s best cask wine?  But before we get to the results – let’s get some background info out of the way, really quickly in bullet points!best wine bars for groups nyc Invented by Riverland winemaker, Tom Angove in 1965best red wine for italian dinner Invention was finally patented in April 1965top wine distributors in india Idea was inspired by from the flexible packaging of old goat skins that stored wine in biblical times

Tom was inspired to store wine in a plastic bag and store it in a box The ‘airless flow’ of the cask is why the invention is genius; wine comes out, but no air goes in. So therefore the wine doesn’t become oxidised! In 1973, before wine casks really took off, each Australian was only drinking 9.8 litres of wine per year. Wine had a “special occasion only” image. After ten years of cask presence, per capita consumption rose to 19.3 litres. In 2015, the cask is still as popular as ever; one in every three glasses of wine drunk in Australia comes out of a cask Contents stay fresh for 6 weeks after opening If you haven’t ventured into the cask section of your local bottle shop lately, you’re in for a treat. Cask producers have responded to the trend of consumers drinking less wine, but drinking better quality.  You’ll now find real varieties and actual vintages, and even popular regions such as McLaren Vale and Marlborough.  What’s more, packaging size has reduced. 

You now find ‘magnum’ sized cask wines; The verdict – Australia’s best cask wines The Wine Wankers tasted each wine blind, by pegging the bladders to a Hills Hoist clothes line and re-enacting a game of Goon of Fortune!A$13 for 2 litres.  I’m not surprised a chardonnay took out top honours, Australia excels at terrific value chardonnay. Great balance with some lovely cool climate flavours of white nectarine, lemon and honeydew melon.  Value plus and very smart. Runner ups – whites Ta_Ku Sauvignon Blanc 2014 (Marlborough). A$24 for 1.5 litres.   Not too bad considering this does herald from a cask, lovely crisp tropical fruit and gooseberry flavours matched with some grassy herbal characters. Yalumba 2014 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc.   This is almost a perfect quaffing white wine blend, definitely a fridge staple! There’s plenty of interesting fresh and lively tropical fruit characters matched with fresh herbs.A$10 for 2 litres.  There’s a party in my mouth!