As several notable wine reviewers have recently remarked, wine in a box is very useful way to package the product. The NY Times recently took note of some European wineries that are beginning to use this technology for some of their wines of genuine consequence. Just a glance at a site like "newschoolwines.com" reveals that even a Morgon has been boxed and is available by mail, among other really appealing offerings. So ... why is it that none of the European boxed wines are available in stores in the west?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
As you rightly point out, the scene is changing quickly for boxed wine, with various imports joining varietals from U.S. origins. I personally endorse the concept on several levels. First, 3-liter boxes reduce the carbon footprint, especially since heavy bottles are more costly to transport, relative to the volume of wine. Second, the value-for-money should as well be greater, since you ought to be paying well below the equivalent price of the same wine in 750 ml bottles. Based on my own tastings of box wine, not all such wines offer that extra value proposition. There is no reason boxed wine cannot be good quality; as always, this depends upon the producer's skill and intent. With regard to availability, the fact that some European wines may not yet be in distribution in the Western U.S. is probably explained by the fact that the importers are New York-based and do not currently have an extensive national network of wholesalers (this applies to Wineberry, who imports many of the box wines on the New School site). Your best bet for now is to take advantage of the opportunity to buy box wine online and have it shipped to you.
