De Bortoli revamps its boxed wines

A De Bortoli spokesperson says that France’s ‘bag-in-box’ trend has inspired an exciting new revamp of the brand’s two litre premium reserve boxed wines.

Travel through the south of France and it's common to see wine being poured into a carafe out of a bag-in-box. Whether it is white, red or Rosé, the wines are fresh and easy-drinking. Even trendy wine bars around the globe are looking for ways of serving good wine by the glass or carafe that keeps its freshness right to the last drop.

“We have recently revamped our own 2 Litre Premium Reserve bag-in-box with a contemporary look and feel, with bottle quality in a box. The favourites are still here like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz,” says De Bortoli spokesperson.

While boxed wine in Australia has not always had the greatest support, De Bortoli wants to change this by creating an incredibly versatile package that also happens to be a genuinely terrific way to keep young wine fresh.

The wines are also easy to enjoy at home and very convenient, whether you are picnicking in the park or road-tripping around the country.

Here are a few tasting notes to ignite your inner love for boxed wine:

Chardonnay: Fruit driven, minimal oak, easy drinking. A blend of 2016 and 2017 to give a little more complexity at this early stage. A nice little number with pulled pork sliders slathered in mayo and hot sauce.

Pinot Grigio 2017: Some of our better vineyards, half picked early and the other half picked a little later to add some more flavour to produce a light fresh style with good aromatics. Especially delicious when served with grilled tandoori chicken from the barbeque.

Sauvignon Blanc 2017: Perhaps one of the best Sauvignon vintages we have seen. Bright, gooseberry, plenty of wild herb, soft acidity. The crisp and fruity flavours are excellent paired with a fresh kale, strawberry and avocado salad.

Shiraz 2017: Lighter style but we haven’t tried to extract what was never there. Just juicy red, lots of white pepper, spicy, a little perfumed and a touch of oak. This is a great smoky woodfired pizza quaffing red.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2016: Medium bodied red with hints of plum, berry, cinnamon and vanillin oak. A flavoursome, rich Cabernet Sauvignon that partners wonderfully with a juicy rack of lamb or beef stroganoff.

All boxes come at an RRP of $14.50.

Push to change boxed wine perceptions

According to Nielsen data, August saw boxed wine sales up 8.5% from over a year ago, bringing in $1.28 billion in sales.

Food & Wine executive wine editor Ray Isle told CNBC that boxed wine is gaining traction because the stigma associated with buying it is changing.

"Box wine was always the thing on the bottom shelf next to the big jugs of wine, it was largely garbage,” he said.

"What happened is there's been a shift towards the premium end of boxed wine", but with consumers getting a tasty, good wine for under 20 dollars, such as the new De Bortoli range.

Moreover, they’re great for "barbecues and cookouts" and once opened, they last longer than a bottled vintage.

“It's got a plastic bag in there so as you pour it out it shrinks….the thing is it doesn't go bad because oxygen doesn't hit it," Isle added.

Lastly, boxed wine is better for the environment because cardboard requires a lot less energy to produce than glass, not to mention both the cardboard and the plastic bags the wine is stored in are recyclable.