Boxed Wine vs. Bottled Wine

Wine can be rather expensive, but there are many ways to cut costs when it comes to feeding your passion. Some people join wine clubs, other people turn towards boxes of wine rather than bottles. However, boxes of wine tend to have a stigma. The majority of people view boxed wines as being of sub-par quality to wine in a bottle. The fact of the matter is that boxed wine is cheaper than bottled wine. However, does that mean you are really saving money?

In order to determine your savings, you should look at the quality of boxed wine and bottled wine, and then you should also study the pros and cons of each type of wine. Then you can properly understand how your boxed wine measures up against your bottled wine.

Quality Check

For some reason, people equate boxed wine with low quality wine, but that is not always the case. Boxed wine can be just as good as wine that comes out of a bottle, and there are many factors to consider before determining a wine’s worth based on appearances. Both boxed wine and bottled wine have the potential to be of poor quality or of great quality.

Another factor in determining the quality of the wine is you, the taster. You may have a different idea of what a good wine tastes like than your neighbor. Therefore, if you both buy the same bottle or box of wine, you may both have different ideas of its quality. You might think that a dry, white wine is of low quality because you don’t like it, whereas your neighbor may thing that the dry, white wine is the best he has ever had. Much like beauty, quality seems to be in the eye of the beholder. Keep that in mind as you are determining a wine’s worth.

Pros and Cons of Bottled Wine

You cannot always determine the quality of wine based on its packaging because there is a such a range of quality in both boxed and bottled wine. How do you know which is better? To determine with more accuracy, you should look at the pros and cons of bottled wine.

Pros of Bottled Wine

• Wine can age. Wine in a bottle can be aged, which is necessary for some types of wine. The fact that it can age also means that wine stays good for longer periods of time in an unopened bottle.
• There are a lot of choices. Because bottled wine has been the standard for so long, there are a lot of options available. The vast majority of wineries only produce bottles of their product.
• You can easily mix and match. Not only is there a large selection, but you can have a selection on hand without needing a large party of friends to help you finish it.
• You’re more likely to try something new. Because you get less wine from a bottle, you are more likely to branch out and try something new when making your next purchase.
• You can use a wine cooler. Your average bottle of wine can be stored in a wine refrigerator. These units are not traditionally built to accommodate wine boxes.

Bottled wine is what you think of as fancy. You can let it age, easily stock a variety of choices and enjoy a variety choices at the store. However, there are some negatives to bottled wine.

Cons of Bottled Wine

• The process of bottling wine is actually bad for the environment. It takes a lot of energy to bottle wine. It also takes a lot of gas to transport bottles of wine.
• Once it’s open, the clock is ticking. When you open a bottle of wine, you have short amount of time to finish the wine. That means you either have to drink more than you wanted, not open a bottle at all or throw the wine away.
• It can be a nightmare to transport. If you travel a lot, you’ve probably had a shampoo bottle explode. Now imagine traveling with a bottle of wine. Glass and wine could get everywhere. On top of that, a bottle of wine is heavy, which is never a desirable thing with your luggage.
• The cork can affect the wine. Sometimes, if the cork is tainted, it can spoil the wine. It can be rather disappointing to open up a bottle of wine after a hard day only to discover the beverage tastes of moldy vinegar.

Bottled wine has its ups and downs, but where does boxed wine stand?

Pros and Cons of Boxed Wine

Now that you know the good and bad of bottled wine, you have to consider the pros and cons of wine found in boxes.

Pros of Boxed Wine

• Once a box of wine is open, it can last for four to six weeks. This means that you have a long time to finish the wine. This also means that you don’t have to drink more wine than you want to.
• You get more wine for your money. An average box of wine is equivalent to four bottles of wine. If you compare the prices, you will notice that a box of wine does not cost as much as four bottles of wine.
• It can be stored and transported easily. A box of wine is lighter than a bottle, you don’t have to worry about glass breaking and it is much easier to store.
• It is easier on the environment. One of the biggest pros of boxed wine is that it is easier on the environment. A box takes less energy to make and it can be recycled much easier. The carbon cost of shipping a box of wine is much cheaper as well.

Boxed wines have a lot going for them. They last longer than bottles do when opened, they tend to be cheaper, they are easier to store and they are more environmentally friendly. However, boxed wine is not all positive.

Cons of Boxed Wine

• Boxed wine can’t be aged. If you are looking for a wine that you can age, don’t get a box of wine. Most boxed wines can only last for about two years if left unopened.
• The selection is poor. When you’re at the grocery store in the wine section, you will notice that there are not as many boxed wine options as there are for bottled wine.
• They give you less variety. If you only get boxed wine, you get more wine. However, you get more of only one kind of wine. You probably do not have enough room in your refrigerator to store several different kinds of boxed wine, leaving you stuck with one kind until you finish it.
• It’s hard to try something new. Similar to you not being able to store as many varieties, it is also more difficult to try out a new kind of wine. When you buy a bottle, if you don’t like it you don’t have that much to drink. When you buy a box, there is a lot more to drink, so there is a much higher risk trying something new if you are determined to get your money’s worth.
• They are not compatible with wine coolers. Boxed wine cannot be stored in a wine refrigerator. They end up taking up a lot of space in your normal refrigerator.

Both boxed and bottled wines have plenty of pros and cons. It’s up to you to decide which pros and cons will affect you the most.

Getting What is Right for You

Because they both do have their own pros and cons, you have to pick the type of wine that seems right for you and your budget. Do you foresee yourself wanting only a glass of wine every few nights? Maybe a box is what you need. Do you want to be able to have a variety on hand? Maybe you would prefer a bottle of wine instead. What it comes down to is that neither boxed nor bottled wine is necessarily better than the other. They both have their drawbacks and advantages, and you have to decide what is best for you.