Black Box Chardonnay

There is a terrible trend in wine.  Boxed wine.  Yes, it’s been around for a very long time.  I remember boxes of wine in my refrigerator when I was a kid.  (I’ve developed a very different sense of taste than my parents.)  My sister served boxed wine at her wedding rehearsal picnic a couple of years ago.  (I may never let her forget it, either.) 

So it’s time for me to take the plunge.  I have very little hope.

I settled on Chardonnay (rather than Merlot, Cab, or Pinot Noir) because I thought I could be the most honest about a Chardonnay.  While my pallet has grown to appreciate Chardonnay, I’m still pretty picky about the ones I love.

This one is very, very light to my eyes.  On looks alone I might think it was a Pinot Grigio. 

And the nose is oddly non-committal.  I’d be able to tell it was an American wine even if I didn’t know.  There’s no sense of “place” in the nose.  There’s very little in the nose at all.  I catch a slight hint of oak, but nothing more.

The flavor is also very light.  There is oak in this finishing of this wine, but not much.  And it’s gentle on the buttery heaviness of many chardonnays.  Truth be told, I might drink this when I’m craving (rarely) an oaked chardonnay.

It’s not fantastic, but it’s not bad, either.  It’s a middle of the road chardonnay that embraces the trend of being a “greener” company with recyclable packaging.  (Because glass isn’t recyclable…yes, that was sarcasm.) 

Okay, maybe it is a smaller carbon footprint, but glass has so many other uses – just wander over to Pinterest.

The small boxes (allegedly 3 servings) are around $6 and the full size boxes are around $15.  I’d pick your favorite flavor and give it a try.  This one really isn’t that bad.