Can Design Improve Wine?
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 11.18.08
I have been convinced of the environmental benefits of bag-in-box wines, as they carry more wine in less packaging than any other form. (glass is heavy and is usually down-cycled, tetra-paks are light but not very green). Unfortunately, the selection is limited, the packaging is cheezy and the contents are a blend of who knows what. One Australian reader says they are known locally as "goon bags. You can get 4L of truly awful wine for about eight bucks thanks to these things."
But in Germany, there appears to be decent availability of different wines in handsome packaging.
It even comes in five liter boxes. So what will it take for a North American winery to figure this out, that people want decent wine in an easy-to-carry package that leaves little waste? That is elegantly designed so that you are not embarrassed to be seen carrying it? Hausewein via Swiss Miss
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I bought 4 boxes of 5 liter =each for about U$16 each here in Knoxville Tennessee. The brnad is FRANZIA (http://www.franzia.com/) and they are actually very good for the price.
OH and the packaging looks even better and has the same concept (a bag inside a cardboard box with a faucet) and it takes up LESS space on my fridge because it's not square.
cheers!
(this comment not to be red by minors)
When Catena starts putting their wine in a box, I'm sold. Otherwise, I still have yet to see any notable wineries/vineyards shipping their wine in these containers.
Whilst it is mostly cheap wine that appears in the "Chateau Cardboard" packaging, there is at least one wine (Banrock Station) that put the same quality bottle wine into its goon bags.
Disclaimer: I am not associated with Banrock station I just drink the stuff.
Hi,
I think you need to cross check what you post everytime so that they are in sink.
I am almost sure that you have published an article on tetrapack wine boxes or similar products, and lashed out at them saying that they are more difficult to recycle, and a much bigger problem than the rest.
tetrapacks can be recycled only at a few places...
LA: these are not tetrapaks. We link within the article to our post dumping on tetra-paks, which I also wrote.
I've never seen anyone talk about what this box wine is packaged in. Plastic. I'm trying to get away from beverages packaged in plastic. What are the health concerns when packaging wine in a plastic bag? I don't know.
There's something nostalgic and comforting about drinking wine out of a bottle. I just don't think you could ever convince me to start drinking box wine.
oh and Brian,
Franzia is the crap wine we used to drink in college. But you know what they say about wine -> If you like it drink it.
Hello I have a question for someone who is familiar aboiut GREEN rules. Can anyone tell me in their opinion or substantiated by facts what would be considered a "Green" travel distance to transport bottled water from the source to the retailer. For example would one tank of gas that results in a 400 mile distance be considered a green delivery distance? I can't find anyplace that lists parameters for "being green". There are plenty of sites that have suggested behaviors for being green.
Thank you