3 Experts Choose Their Favourite Boxed Wines
Wine Expert Amelia Singer Recommends
Pinot Grigio, £29.99 | Laylo
This premium wine is stored in the prettiest packaging you’ll find on the boxed wine scene. Laylo is a female-run business whose Master of Wine sources fantastic grapes by independent and family-owned wineries. This pinot grigio was created as a perfect mid-week option. It’s an excellent example of a fresh, fruity and elegant pinot grigio from its spiritual homeland in the Veneto, Italy. I love its lemon peel perfume followed by pulpy green apple notes infused with lemon sherbet zest. This wine makes for easy drinking and fun in the best way. I’d pair it with salted nuts, crisps, olives, and light summer salads – whatever you have on offer for impromptu visits from friends.
Available at DrinkLaylo.com
Famille Fabre Corbières, £54 | Bobo Wines
This organic orange wine will impress natural wine lovers without alienating more conservative drinkers. It’s by Bobo Wines, which specialises in premium organic wines from small French growers. Don’t be put off by the Irn-Bru colour. It’s made using the aromatic grape viognier and the juice is left on the skins for three weeks. Thanks to the extended skin contact, you can enjoy a succulent, textured wine with the notes of baked peach and apricot fruit that are forever associated with viognier. The skin contact also brings in notes of uplifting jasmine and orange bitters. It’s complex, intense but dry, so pairs perfectly with Ottolenghi-inspired cuisine – think pomegranate-topped hummus, deep-fried cheeses, lamb koftas or harissa-glazed duck. It can stand up to and complement them all.
Available at BoboWines.co.uk
Terre Di Faiano Organic Rosso, £27.99 | Waitrose Cellar
This must be the best-priced boxed wine around relative to the smart packaging and quality of what’s inside. Southern Italian reds are pure bottled hedonism, and this rich, intense and spicy blend from Puglia does not disappoint. Made from organic fruit and presented in a beautiful 100% recyclable tube, this is a fantastic offering from Waitrose for the summer BBQ days that are hopefully ahead. Although this is a fruit-forward wine, the blend of three grapes (primitivo, negroamaro and cabernet sauvignon) gives it great structure. The intensity and brightness of the fruit make this one perfect when you’re serving lamb, hot dogs, beef burgers, stuffed aubergines or grilled veggie kebabs.
Available at WaitroseCellar.com
Patelin De Tablas Rosé, £69 | Tablas Creek
I’ve been a fan of this premium Californian estate for years. The team set up its Central Coast winery in the 80s in partnership with Rhone-based Château de Beaucastel, who make possibly the most iconic Châteauneuf du Pape available. Several decades later, they are now organic and biodynamic, and one of the first artisan wineries in California to put wine into box. This rosé is one of their most popular, made using three red grapes from the Rhone, including grenache, which brims with wild strawberry and dried cranberry fruit. This versatile wine is great on its own, though pairs excellently with BBQ dishes, picnic food or Rhone Valley fare like pâté, seafood, bouillabaisse and olive tapenade.
Available at TheWineSociety.com
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Season 2 of Amelia Singer’s podcast, ‘Ameliarate Through Wine’, is available to listen now on Apple & Spotify.
Wine Expert Richard Ellison Recommends
Sauvignon Bag-In-Box, £36.50 | JaJa
Designed for easy everyday drinking, this will not disappoint sauvignon blanc lovers, with its big grassy, green profile wearing its heart on its sleeve. It will also convert many sauvignon sceptics, as it’s a very intense but super elegant take on a traditional sauvignon blanc. With notes of gooseberry and elderflower, it has refreshing acidity and gentle minerality, making it the perfect match for salads, seafood and light meats.
Available at WanderlustWine.co.uk
Justin Blanc Bag-In-Box, £38 | Saint Cyrgues
Chateau Saint Cyrgues is known for embracing sustainable viticulture practices, nurturing a relationship between nature and winemaking. This organic approach fosters biodiversity and allows the grapes to express the terroir, and ultimately have more personality and character in the wines. With notes of white flowers, citrus and subtle white pepper, this medium-bodied wine offers acidity and a delicate note of honey and sweet spice, leading to a lingering and spicy finish. It’s great on its own on a sunny day, or with a salad topped with goat’s cheese or smoked salmon.
Available at WanderlustWine.co.uk
Rose Bag-In-Box, £39 | JaJa
Containing 3L – equivalent to four bottles of regular rosé – this is a great option for a summer garden party where you are planning to host a large group. Fruity and juicy on the palate with a moderate alcohol content (12%), this is a crowd-pleaser. Look for aromas of strawberries, rose petals, pink grapefruit and a hint of Turkish delight, while the palate is an elegant surprise of strawberries and cream, grapefruit and peach. It’s the perfect aperitif and a great pairing companion for salads, light pasta dishes, olive tapenade, zucchini fritters and grilled fish.
Available at WanderlustWine.co.uk
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Wine Writer Hannah Crosbie Recommends
French Pinot Noir Bag In Box 2023, £22 | The Society's
This is one of the best-value boxed wines on the market. It’s a totally quaffable and ridiculously delicious pinot noir from the south of France. Bright, crunchy and with a fruity hit of cherries, it’s a classic bistro wine that’ll go with everything from steak frites to cassoulet. It’s also great with a big sharing board of cheeses, as well as charcuterie boards piled with meats and artichoke.
Available at TheWineSociety.com
Bag In Box, £20 | Porta 6
This is a failsafe option for casual drinking and summer BBQs. The Portuguese red wine is instantly recognisable by its label, and features a vibrant mix of red fruit flavours and spices. Originating from the Lisbon region, this wine has a smooth and balanced profile, with notes of succulent red and dark fruits on the palate with a smooth finish. It’ll go perfectly with a variety of dishes, from grilled meats to hearty stews.
Available at Sainsburys.co.uk
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