Bag-in-box wine is often branded as poor quality wine, for teenagers or binge drinkers and something that is bought because it is cheap. But perhaps everything is about to change. In fact, this format is making a comeback and one of the main reasons is its environmental and economic benefits.
Bag in box, a dive into the past and a new trend
The bag in box has been around for a long time. It was invented and popularized by Australians (who also popularized the idea of screw caps instead of corks).
The wine is contained in a bag inside which a watertight plastic cap is welded. The bag of wine is then placed in a box that has a hole for the tap to pass through. The original bag in a box concept was originally patented in 1935 by Renmark, a winery in South Australia. In 1967, another Australian inventor patented the plastic tap dispenser.
Despite having been around for many years, bag-in-box wine has always been looked down upon by both high-end winemakers and wine drinkers alike. But, today the wind is about to change, especially in our country.
Here, then 5 good reasons to choose bag in box wine !
1. Lower energy costs
One of the main reasons for this trend is the cost and environmental benefits of producing, transporting, storing and consuming wine in bag boxes. While glass is recyclable, it is also energy intensive, while plastic and cardboard are less energy intensive and can still be recycled.
2. Lower carbon dioxide emissions
Glass bottles are heavy to carry and cost a lot. Not only is transporting a heavy material like glass more expensive in economic terms, it is also more expensive for the environment.
3. Less oxidation means longer life
The airtight seal between the tap and the bag means that bag-in-box wine can be stored for weeks once opened without affecting the taste, while wine from a bottle should ideally be consumed within hours or days.
Plus, instead of finishing a bottle to keep it from going to waste, having the ability to store wine in the box for weeks could lead to even less drinking.
4. Bag in box wine is cheaper
If the environmental benefits haven't convinced you, perhaps the economic benefits will. As far as packaging goes, glass is much more expensive to use than a box.
Yes, it can be reused and recycled, but if winemakers don't have to pay for glass, they can reduce the cost of their product and pass the savings on to consumers. Even if producers maintain a higher margin, the consumer can still benefit if winemakers invest in better equipment and improve the quality of their wine.
5. Bag-in-box wine is practical and of high quality
By using cardboard instead of glass, it is possible to produce wine bag in a box and then sell it at a much cheaper price. An unfortunate side effect of this lower price is the negative connotation of drinkers of high quality wine.
In an industry where price is often used as a guide to quality, logic dictates that if it's cheap it doesn't have to be as good. M it is rather a prejudice, because the quality is not inferior and there are also DOC , reserves, wines aged in barrels and even in amphorae!