When people talk about box wine, it’s kind of an unwritten rule that it is not considered to be a classy beverage. I know I like a superior product as much as the next person, but I can’t argue that box wine is inferior. Well, maybe some, but certainly not all. With the green movement increasing in popularity, more and more brands are jumping on the box bandwagon.  Here’s a few reasons why:

• On average, one box of wine is equal to four bottles. I usually buy the brand featured in the picture above. Many people say that anything “organic” is very expensive, but buying the box puts my cost per bottle around $5.00.
• It really is eco-friendly. Some recycling services actually cannot recycle certain glass bottles because of the coloring, and they ultimately end up in a landfill despite the good intention to recycle. Box wine eliminates this, not to mention the pollution to produce and ship the excess packaging from bottles alone.
• It stays fresher longer. Even if you re-cork a bottle of wine after opening, it still oxidizes, and goes bad before the next day. Box wine stays fresh up to six weeks after opening.
• You can reuse the liners. Being Earth-conscious, (even with my wine consumption) I reuse my wine liners by cutting off just the top seam of the bag. Then, I place the bag in a flowerpot, fold the top over the rim, and secure it with a rubber band. I leave them out in my backyard to collect rainwater. Once they are full, I remove the rubber band, gather the top and re-secure it with the rubber band. Then I save the spouted bags of water for when the rain dries, and I need to water plants. Eco-chic-o!

Additionally, the organic wine I buy is sulfate free. There is a lot of controversy surrounding whether or not sulfates are bad for your health, and I encourage everyone to research that. Regardless of the controversy, many fellow allergy sufferers have sulfate sensitivity, intolerance, or full-blown allergy, and cannot drink certain wines because of this. It’s nice to know there are options available for allergy sufferers, and I recommend using a sulfate free wine if you will be entertaining this holiday season (or anytime.) Enjoy the box wines you try, and if anyone makes a comment about them not being classy, simply state that you are just doing your part to save the planet.

(*I posted this previously on another blog for a school project, but wanted to post it again here.)