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Santiago
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3531
Registered: 8-27-2003
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Losing all respect of my vinophile friends
Great Box White
This weekend we hosted a small party and I bought a 5 liter box of Peter Vella's Chardonnay, put it in various other wine bottles with labels removed
that we had emptied over the last few months and set them out. As it was a warm afternoon, everyone started drinking the white wine and we got all
sorts of great comments about the 'mystery white'. At the end of the evening I brought out the container.
At $13 for 5 liters, that's less than $2 per 750ml bottle with the added benefit of not having to go to Trader Joe's for two-buck-chuck and mingle
with the aging hippies.
[Edited on 8-3-2010 by Santiago]
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Bob and Susan
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Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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it's called "two-buck chuck" 
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
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Around 1965, when Rice-a-Roni came out with Spanish Rice, I made a big mess of it and took it down the street to a dinner party. People raved
about....they absolutly loved the stuff.
A while after dinner, I devulged my secret and some of them frauds acted like I'd just poisened them.
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gnukid
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Santiago
Great Box White
This weekend we hosted a small party and I bought a 5 liter box of Peter Vella's Chardonnay, put it in various other wine bottles with labels removed
that we had emptied over the last few months and set them out. As it was a warm afternoon, everyone started drinking the white wine and we got all
sorts of great comments about the 'mystery white'. At the end of the evening I brought out the container.
At $13 for 5 liters, that's less than $2 per 750ml bottle with the added benefit of not having to go to Trader Joe's for two-buck-chuck and mingle
with the aging hippies. |
Wine is affected by its exposure to its storage environment, light, oxygen can enter through poor quality cork. For some time, screw on caps have been
used in southern France for this reason producing more stable affordable wine. These box wines are usually sealed with nitrogen directly from the
barrel or vat and therefore are a far better storage and transportation container than a typical bottle and cork, except for the loss of the
sentimental experience of handling a bottle and cork. So, by itself, there is nothing wrong or low quality with a box wine, and by filling and reusing
bottles and corks for serving you have overcome the greatest objection (the lack of bottle and cork) thereby utilizing the best method of transport
with the least likelihood of suffering exposure for a higher quality product.
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
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There is a pretty good wine from Napa produced under the family name, "Kappa". They put their wines in bottles with a screw cap. The name on the
label: Screw Kappa Napa! This is a true story. Look for it.
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BMG
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Registered: 6-10-2007
Location: La Paz / Bahia Asunci�n / Away from home
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The other advantage to a wine sold in a foil bag in a box is that oxygen doesn't enter the container when you serve a glass. The shelf life* of an
'opened' box of wine is greater than an opened bottle of wine. Vacuum sealing the open bottle helps but you've still introduced oxygen to the wine.
Another big advantage for boaters is that the bags of vino store very well down in dry bilges.
When we were in French Polynesia they sold French wine in 2 liter plastic bottles like soda. Referred to as Chateau Plastique. Quite drinkable after
the first bottle.
*(Totally hearsay. I cannot remember ever having left an open bottle or box unfinished.)
I think the world is run by C- students.
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tjBill
Senior Nomad
Posts: 516
Registered: 10-6-2007
Location: Tijuana
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I have always wanted to try the wine bottle switch. People seem to be most impressed by French wines.
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Santiago
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 8-27-2003
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BMG
*(Totally hearsay. I cannot remember ever having left an open bottle or box unfinished.) |
This is the down side to box wine: it sits very happily in the fridge but you loose the quantifier that a bottle provides. With a bottle, you open
one, pour a couple of glasses for you and your significant other (or even your wife) and when the bottle is empty, you're done. This keeps things
from slowly getting out of control. The box requires self control at a level I've yet to achieve.
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
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A fun thing to do is to host a blind tasting with 10 or 12 people. Everyone brings a bottle of whatever. You, the host, puts all the bottles in a
paper bag. You make a list of all the wines that were brought, in random order. Then pour, one wine at a time, into everyone's glass. The taster then
marks on the list, which wine they think it is.
What is interesting, is that some are more expensive than others. You might be surprised that the more expensive wines are not necessarily preferred
during the tasting. And, they are often way off in their tasting, checking the wine off the list as a cheaper wine, and vice versa. 
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Pompano
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Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Tony..remember that 'Red Truck' wine I told you about? Also Little Red Truck. Well, we had the devil of a time looking for more ever since we left
Calistoga in the Napa Valley. We finally found it in..of all places, Ocean Beach, Washington. Bought thier entire stock...only 4 bottles, but a
start. It is GOOD and does not break anyone's budget. Sorry, no screw caps or bags..yet.
An anecdote about people's prejudice on certain foods:
For many years it's been my habit to bring to Baja a coffin cooler full of frozen game..ducks, geese, pheasants, grouse, venison, etc..and have many
barbeques featuring those game meats.
Marinated snow goose breasts on the grill were a special favorite of a certain amigo...but I never told him that he was eating wild goose breasts.
After a few years I told him the truth about the fillet mignon that he supposed the snow breasts to be...But he absolutely refused to believe
that any wild game could possible taste so good. Thinks to this day that I was trying to pull his leg.
Oh well..I'll just keep bringing and grilling 'em.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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Gypsy Jan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4275
Registered: 1-27-2004
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Five Liters of Wine
And Fakey Paella?
I am so there. Can I bring a doggie bag and sport bottle?  
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
Tony..remember that 'Red Truck' wine I told you about? Also Little Red Truck. Well, we had the devil of a time looking for more ever since we left
Calistoga in the Napa Valley. We finally found it in..of all places, Ocean Beach, Washington. Bought thier entire stock...only 4 bottles, but a
start. It is GOOD and does not break anyone's budget. Sorry, no screw caps or bags..yet.
An anecdote about people's prejudice on certain foods:
For many years it's been my habit to bring to Baja a coffin cooler full of frozen game..ducks, geese, pheasants, grouse, venison, etc..and have many
barbeques featuring those game meats.
Marinated snow goose breasts on the grill were a special favorite of a certain amigo...but I never told him that he was eating wild goose breasts.
After a few years I told him the truth about the fillet mignon that he supposed the snow breasts to be...But he absolutely refused to believe
that any wild game could possible taste so good. Thinks to this day that I was trying to pull his leg.
Oh well..I'll just keep bringing and grilling 'em. |
Yup! I remember your recommendation for Red Truck. I did find it at Safeway here in Grass Valley. It was $8 or 9. Not a bad price at all. I just
opened it last week. (I was waiting for the right moment, if you know what I mean). It is a blend of three reds; Sirah, Cabernet Franc and
maybe...Pinot Noir. It was good! Thank you for the heads up. I haven't found any "Little Red Truck" though.
Would be great with all the "grillin" you are planning to do back in Coyote. 
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
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Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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That Peter Vella box stuff is actually available in SoCal supermarkets and drug store for less than $10. Time was that so-called "jug wine" was pretty
awful. But, thanks to folks like the Franzia brothers, some of who, by the way, are the producers of two buck chuck, mass- produced wines have become
ever so more palatable. The Franzias have a huge, amazing facility in the Central Valley.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 19934
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Santiago
...box wine... |
box wine is good for horse packing and kayaking, or anyt traveling where glass if bad due to fragile or weight. no weight of glasss, and container
can be burnt on campfire.
box wine not too good for home use, because hard for a a couple nonalcoholics to finish that large volume before wine goes bad from oxygenation upon
opening.
i have not found good selections at many stores, only ran across a few palatable ones at bevmo -- who else in CA carries good boxed wine????????????
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capt. mike
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still haven't found a boxed wine brand in a price that compares well to good cork finished bottles that i can get cheap sometimes.
every boxed wine has been less than exciting or memorable - and many simply boring or swillish.
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
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Anyone remember Carlos Rossi? Decades back he starred in myriad TV ads. He is a member of the Gallo family through marriage. It was just about that
time when bulk wine had improved to the point where it wasn't just for winos and cooking.
I will say, though, having seen a number of mentions of the problem, alcoholics are playing a game with death if they buy those five liter boxes.
Unfortunately, in virtually all of the alcohol beverage industry, the pricing structure is anathema to people with problems with alcohol. From 1.5
liter jugs of booze, to 18 pack beers, to 5 liter boxes of wine, the situation is the same. Buy large quantities, and you save beaucoup bucks.
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Gypsy Jan
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I Respectfully Rebut
The Value of a Drink
"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink, I feel shame . Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all
of their hopes and dreams .. If I didn't drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered.
Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver." ~ Jack Handy
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell happened to your bra and panties.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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bajadock
Super Nomad
Posts: 1219
Registered: 12-20-2006
Location: Punta sur de \'Nada
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Boxed Wine Future
Lots more boxed wine sold in Europe and Australia than in North America. Argument is that Euros have better knowledge of wine and aren't subject to
wine snob superstition.
Hardy's Shiraz in a "cask" is the best bag in a box I've found.
I always make certain to bring a screw top bottle to my vinophile friend's home just to make him wince. Last one was a Côtes du Ventoux. Delicious
at $7/bottle.
I've got to find this in socal, as I love its irreverence. Thanks for the suggestion.
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SDRonni
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There was just a report on the news about Costco's Kirkland brand beer. Apparently it's made by Gordon Biersch(sp?) and was rated by Consumer's
Report as really good! Some even preferred it over the "name" labels. Case of 24 for $18.....
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Udo
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Roger
Check the recent Nomad thread about bringing meats into Baja.
| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
For many years it's been my habit to bring to Baja a coffin cooler full of frozen game..ducks, geese, pheasants, grouse, venison, etc..and have many
barbeques featuring those game meats.
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Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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