We all know that drinking wine can be a somewhat expensive hobby. For a casual connoisseur, a bottle or two per week, a glass in the evening or with dinner can quickly add up. For wine drinkers having a party, hosting and providing wine for friends, or for grown-up families that make wine an every night staple with dinner, the cost is very high. One of the beauties of boxed wine is the value that it provides to help you budget while also getting you your wine fix. Choosing to drink boxed wine over bottled wine has many benefits and you’ll be able to see some of them immediately. Both the volume of wine you get with your purchase and the ease of storage are apparent. Yet, it is still cheaper than buying the same volume of bottled wine. Interested in how this can be? Let’s break it down:
Boxed Wine = More Volume
On average, a normal bottle holds about 750 mL of wine. This roughly converts to about 25 ounces, or about 6 standard (4 oz) servings. As an aside for your next trivia night, it takes over 500 grapes to make just one bottle of wine. Compared to a bottle, boxed wine is not quite so standard. While almost every bottle comes with 750 mL, boxes can vary greatly. However, most boxes of wine contain either 3 L or 5 L. A 3-liter box of wine therefore equals about four bottles worth, while a 5-liter box has just over six and a half bottles worth. When comparing the price tags between the box and its equivalent number of bottles you will find that the box of wine is much cheaper. How can this be?
Boxes Are Cheaper To Make And Fill Than Bottles
The retail cost of a wine reflects the cost that it takes to not only grow the grapes and make the wine, but also all of the logistics that go into it. The consumer pays the cost of the glass for bottles, the bottling process, corking, and carefully shipping the heavy bottles. All of these extra steps quickly add a lot of cost for the winemaker. However, putting wine in boxes is much cheaper and easier. The boxes weigh less, are lighter, are made from cheaper materials, and are easier to store. Just think, putting a box of wine on your counter or in the fridge is much easier than finding a safe place for six breakable bottles. The same goes for shipping. Ultimately, the savings from the packaging process allow the winemaker to fill the box with more wine without losing any money. For the consumer, you get more wine for your money.
Why Go Boxed?
If you like saving money and still drinking great wine then there is no reason not to give boxed wine a shot. Have some friends over, choose a box of your favorite variety and get tasting. If you can’t finish it all in one day, don’t worry, the wine will stay good for over a month in the box, unlike a bottle that goes bad in a few days. If you’re willing to give up the tradition of pouring wine from a glass bottle, and pour instead from an eco-friendly box, then you’re ready to start getting more wine for your money.
