Buyer Beware.....

[Mickemo]

Here in the UK we produce some great sparkling white wine - Nyetimber regularly beats Champagne in blind tests and is considered world class fizz by those in the know

Closer to home we have Hambledon Vineyard who produce some very good sparkling wine

I concur though with Pomp in that £47 a case doesn't buy you much quality, most of that £47 goes to the taxman.

For that reason I tend to shop in the £7.50 to £10 market but also like to have a few bargain basement table wines to hand e.g. Morrison Pinotage @ £4

[RubiconCSL]

Wine luddite request.

I like a nice glass of red, or maybe sometimes that lighter red/pink stuff. But I am no connoisseur sadly. I know it is probably sacrilege to suggest such things, but is it possible to get an acceptable red or rose in a box (PnC gasps at the suggestion)!

I'm only in the flat three nights a week and am not a big drinker. So bottles will be wasted mainly. Are those box thingies the same liquid inside, but just last longer if kept in the fridge? If so, any particular suggestions? And how about red - can one possibly keep that in the fridge too? And how about those dinky little 1/3 bottles - any good?

Delivery is difficult, as I'm not in during the day, unless I can get stuff delivered in the evening. So, supermarket it is, or evening delivery.

Any suggestions - other than increasing my consumption to a bottle a day.

[Number 1 Jasper]

Wine luddite request.

I like a nice glass of red, or maybe sometimes that lighter red/pink stuff. But I am no connoisseur sadly. I know it is probably sacrilege to suggest such things, but is it possible to get an acceptable red or rose in a box (PnC gasps at the suggestion)!

I'm only in the flat three nights a week and am not a big drinker. So bottles will be wasted mainly. Are those box thingies the same liquid inside, but just last longer if kept in the fridge? If so, any particular suggestions? And how about red - can one possibly keep that in the fridge too? And how about those dinky little 1/3 bottles - any good?

Delivery is difficult, as I'm not in during the day, unless I can get stuff delivered in the evening. So, supermarket it is, or evening delivery.

Any suggestions - other than increasing my consumption to a bottle a day.

Red stripe?

[pomp 'n circumstance]

Wine luddite request.

I like a nice glass of red, or maybe sometimes that lighter red/pink stuff. But I am no connoisseur sadly. I know it is probably sacrilege to suggest such things, but is it possible to get an acceptable red or rose in a box (PnC gasps at the suggestion)!

I'm only in the flat three nights a week and am not a big drinker. So bottles will be wasted mainly. Are those box thingies the same liquid inside, but just last longer if kept in the fridge? If so, any particular suggestions? And how about red - can one possibly keep that in the fridge too? And how about those dinky little 1/3 bottles - any good?

Delivery is difficult, as I'm not in during the day, unless I can get stuff delivered in the evening. So, supermarket it is, or evening delivery.

Any suggestions - other than increasing my consumption to a bottle a day.

A not unreasonable request, Mein Fuhrer - and one that is difficult to fulfil. Wine boxes are, I'm afraid a non starter and although available at £8 a box (equivalent to 3 x 750cc bottles) not to be trusted especially the red offerings. I can offer a modest solution which I sometimes use - it is a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon produced in South Africa and using the brand name of Cape Nelson. As far as I know Sainsbury's is the only supermarket that sells it - it normally sells at around £6.80 a bottle, but every few weeks you can pick up an offer of 2 for £9.00 (£4.50 a bottle). As you'd expect, it's a Cape wine and extremely well blended and slips down a treat and if you are trying to have a tipple or 2 during the week, you can decant it, as well.

Don't expect it to taste like a top end French claret, but it's a most acceptable table wine - give it a try! You might be pleasantly surprised!

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Wine luddite request.

I like a nice glass of red, or maybe sometimes that lighter red/pink stuff. But I am no connoisseur sadly. I know it is probably sacrilege to suggest such things, but is it possible to get an acceptable red or rose in a box (PnC gasps at the suggestion)!

I'm only in the flat three nights a week and am not a big drinker. So bottles will be wasted mainly. Are those box thingies the same liquid inside, but just last longer if kept in the fridge? If so, any particular suggestions? And how about red - can one possibly keep that in the fridge too? And how about those dinky little 1/3 bottles - any good?

Delivery is difficult, as I'm not in during the day, unless I can get stuff delivered in the evening. So, supermarket it is, or evening delivery.

Any suggestions - other than increasing my consumption to a bottle a day.

A not unreasonable request, Mein Fuhrer - and one that is difficult to fulfil. Wine boxes are, I'm afraid a non starter and although available at £8 a box (equivalent to 3 x 750cc bottles) not to be trusted especially the red offerings. I can offer a modest solution which I sometimes use - it is a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon produced in South Africa and using the brand name of Cape Nelson. As far as I know Sainsbury's is the only supermarket that sells it - it normally sells at around £6.80 a bottle, but every few weeks you can pick up an offer of 2 for £9.00 (£4.50 a bottle). As you'd expect, it's a Cape wine and extremely well blended and slips down a treat and if you are trying to have a tipple or 2 during the week, you can decant it, as well.

Don't expect it to taste like a top end French claret, but it's a most acceptable table wine - give it a try! You might be pleasantly surprised!

I bet it took 48 hrs for Pomp to clean up the wheezed snot from his boudoir after reading "boxed wine"
Anyhoo...yes ...interesting question. I 'd have to say I've tried a few boxes without being impressed by much of anything Franzia or the usual suspects had to offer....but then...Costco...which I get more impressed with each visit....I assume y'all have Costco btw.....anyhoo....here they have Botabox.....3-4 bottles worth which sells for $20 US and I found entirely acceptable for a daily tipple. And it keeps just fine for a week + out of the fridge....not a rose though...more a classic red in the pinot / merlot mold.
Worth a punt

[RubiconCSL]

Thanks chaps. I'll have a look online

[<dj.>]

I don't see why wine boxes should be so awful in Britain. I know people in France who routinely buy their wine in 3 or 5 litre boxes and it's good, wholesome, nourishing stuff. (They are buying local wine from a local wine shop, not from a supermarket, usually.) Maybe the wine box market here is already determined and would be too difficult to change.

[RubiconCSL]

Yes, it's a shame. I drink a glass of wine here and there, but seldom enough to warrant opening a bottle for myself. I'm only in :London three nights and I'll almost certainly not drink a bottle in three evenings. So I just don't drink it A decent box that would last a month say and I'd be a happy bunny. Come on UK, there must be one decent box of wine to be had here?

I don't see why wine boxes should be so awful in Britain. I know people in France who routinely buy their wine in 3 or 5 litre boxes and it's good, wholesome, nourishing stuff. (They are buying local wine from a local wine shop, not from a supermarket, usually.) Maybe the wine box market here is already determined and would be too difficult to change.

[Locky_McLockface]

Horses for courses, innit.

Rubes, for your porpoises, a box of wine will be more than adequate, it'll be enough to take the edge off a hard day at work and relax in front of the telly. Yes, you probably wouldn't serve it at a dinner party for a new client, but you'll enjoy it for what it is and what it does to you.

We bought a bottle of white Bordeaux (yes, really) for less than 2 Euros last week in Normandy, it tasted very nice to my admittedly uncultured taste buds.