When you hear “boxed wine,” do college memories of red-stained lips and bags being slapped flash across your mind? Gas station variety boxed wine is terrible and best left in the frat house basement, but it’s not fair to lump all boxed wine into one category. Often, the box itself has very little to do with what’s inside. Good wine is good, regardless of its container–and there are even some natural wines that come in boxes now.
In recent years, many skilled and popular winemakers around the world have started to sell their product in boxes. It makes sense: Boxed wines are highly convenient and transportable, allowed in areas where glass isn’t (like the beach or pool), stay fresh for longer after opening, and they’re actually more sustainable thanks to being much lighter (and therefore less of a load to ship) than glass bottles. Boxed wine is also often more economical and costs less than the equivalent amount of bottled wine.
These are some of the best tasting boxes of wine to keep in your fridge this summer so you’re always ready for a last-minute picnic, beach trip, or backyard bash.
The Disciplined, Fast Lane Life of a Race Car Driver Turned Winemaker
If you were to ask me to rattle off my dream jobs in five seconds, I would probably list: rock star, National Geographic explorer, and whatever exactly Magic Mike’s professional title is. With a few more moments to consider, I would add elite racecar driver and winemaker, professions I admire…
Ami Ami
Ami Ami was founded by two friends who noticed that in France, good wine isn’t just reserved for special occasions. The boxes contain high-quality French wine in a casual format without the fuss. Fun, festive designs give the wine an air of approachability. The vin blanc (white wine) is perfect for summer. It’s balanced and fruity without being floral or sweet. It's a blend of 50% sauvignon blanc, 40% chardonnay, and 10% mauzac coming from the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains.
Buy: $24
Gratsi
A rosé with zero sugar? Sign me up. Made from a blend of grapes grown in the greater Columbia River and Yakima Valley regions of Washington, Gratsi’s rosé is a highly drinkable option that’s not too yeasty and not too sweet. It’s a fruity, minerally glass of wine, with notes of pear, strawberry, and honeysuckle. Reminiscent of the Mediterranean summer, it would be an excellent complement to those fresh summer ingredients like juicy tomatoes and ripe stone fruits.
Buy: $50
Nomadica
Nomadica is all about sustainability without compromise. The brand offers a variety of low intervention, minimal sulfur, and low-sugar wines that still pack big flavor. The boxed red is as complex, made from 100% teroldego grapes from California. It’s rich with spice that’s juxtaposed with notes of cherry and raspberry. The wine goes great with meat, so it’s perfect for casual summer barbecues with the equivalent of four bottles per box.
Buy: $55
Weingut Norbert Bauer: Schplink
This boxed natural wine is a mineral-forward white from the Burgenland region of Austria. It's a classic Austrian wine made from grüner veltliner with herbaceous notes of mint and basil. Made by 11th-generation winemakers, the grapes macerate for 12 hours, which helps to bring out their aromatic flavors before being fermented for 22 days in a cool-temp stainless-steel tank. This process makes for a young and fresh-tasting wine.
Buy: $31.99
Francois Moutard: Hérisson
Hérisson is the type of French red wine that’s good for any place, any time. This is a box of sustainable and vegan wine from a third-generation winemaker using grapes from a vineyard that’s been operating since 1925. A blend of pinot noir and gamay, it’s fruity while also having notes of savory herbs. Consider it your house chilled red. Show up to a picnic with a box of pizza and a box of this wine and you’ll be the hit of the park.
Buy: $38
Alileo Wines
Orange wine has been having a bit of a moment the past couple years. Whether you're still all-in on orange wine or you're starting to get tired of seeing it everywhere, you'll enjoy Alileo. Made from zibibbo grapes (once called muscat of Alexandria), this Sicilian grape delivers notes of jasmine and citrus. Since this wine is unfiltered, it’s a beautiful, slightly hazy color that looks almost like straw. All of Alileo’s wine is natural, so it’s a great choice if your friend (or you) won’t stop talking about “natty, funky” wine.
Buy: $39.99The Best Wine Glasses
Today's young wine industry takes things much less seriously than in years past. The colorful world of natural wine has hit the mainstream and, while many of the wines can look and taste just like traditional, commercial wine, there's a fun-first approach to drinking and enjoying wine. As such, the…
