Here are the 10 boxes. I’ve listed them in order of preference, but they’re all good.
10 Boxed Wines to Try
Ryme Cellars Mendocino Fox Hill Vineyard Sangiovese-Friulano 2020, 12.3 percent, $72
Would you pay $72 for a boxed wine? Perhaps you would if it were as good as this blend. It’s juicy and vivacious, a rare American sangiovese that is not over-the-top fruity or sweet. Eighty-five percent sangiovese and 15 percent friulano, it’s an homage to the days when white grapes (more likely malvasia or trebbiano than friulano) were blended into Chianti to create a fragrant, easygoing wine. This wine is certainly fragrant, but also has enough structure to stand up to grilled beef dishes, chili con carne or red sauce pastas. As for the cost? Three liters at $72 equates to $18 a bottle. Not bad for wine made from organically farmed Mendocino grapes.
Neleman Valencia Good Wine Book Red 2020, 13.5 percent, $29
This makes no bones about its purpose, or at least, its marketing strategy: “Good Wine to Save the World.” I don’t know if it will, but it sure is good. It’s bright and fresh, full of red fruit flavors but not sweet or cloying, and its lively acidity makes it deliciously refreshing. It’s a blend of tempranillo and monastrell, as mourvèdre is known in Spain, all organically grown. Chill ever so lightly and you are in for a pleasant treat and a great value. (Sounder Imports, Staten Island, N.Y.)
Schplïnk! Austria Grüner Veltliner 2021, 12.5 percent, $29
Ms. Saunders of Communal Brands believes boxes are a good intermediate step before, inevitably, we will turn to reusable wine bottles. Schplïnk is an excellent example of the sort of unpretentious wines that benefit from this packaging. It’s pure and delightful, with the herbal, grassy qualities that can make grüner veltliner so pleasant and refreshing. The grapes come from eastern Austria and are grown organically by Norbert Bauer, a longtime family estate. (Communal Brands, New York)
Hérisson Côteaux Bourguignons Vin Rouge 2021, 13 percent, $39
This light-bodied blend of pinot noir and gamay from the Mâconnais region of southern Burgundy, another Communal Brands box, is an ideal thirst-quenching red. It’s fresh, lightly fruity, deliciously refreshing and it goes down easy. You don’t need to ponder its intricacies. It’s just the thing for any gathering of friends, or for when you just want a glass. Give it a light chill and serve with anything. (Communal Brands)
