When people come to visit, they’re often surprised at my wine collection. What they see is a mini wine refrigerator and at least two large racks prodigiously stacked with wine bottles. What they don’t see are the reasons behind the backlog of bottles — I rarely drink wine out of bottles anymore. Sure, in our romantic courtship period, we’d regularly crack open a bottle to share. Before I was married, I hosted wine tasting parties on my Manhattan roofdeck and subscribed to an amazing Zinfandel wine club, after discovering the winery at a tiny wine bar around the corner from my Gramercy digs. Ah, the glamour.
What happened then is that my romantic wine-drinking fiancee turned into my beer-drinking husband. (I love you, honey!) If I was going to open a bottle of wine, I was drinking the whole thing myself. Then, I got pregnant, twice, and wine consumption pretty much drew to a standstill. Yet, the wine club membership continued, and the bottles began to really stack up. I even, at one point, had a healthy-sized CellarTracker account (amazing site, BTW), where I’d keep stock of what treasures I had, and where they were stored.
Now, the bottles sit there, staring me in the face. (Excuse for a party, right?) Not that I’m abstaining from wine these days, but when I drink it, it usually comes in a box. Yes, the former Manhattan rooftop-partying wine snob is drinking from a box. Why? Because I can easily pour myself a single glass. Or maybe two, if the mood strikes. It lasts a long time, as the bladder packaging keeps the fruity beverage away from air, so it’s still just as delicious when I come back for more in a week. And, then, there are the environmental benefits. Boxes weigh less and therefore burn less gas when they’re transported; plus the box itself is recyclable. Oh, and if you’re inclined to having a little vino while hanging out on the beach, at the lake, or beside the pool — something we expect to do quite a bit once the 100+ degree summer kicks in — you don’t have that pesky glass problem. Best of all, it can be really yummy.
I’m apparently not alone. A Wall Street Journal article from last year said that nearly 25% of wine sold in the U.S. came in a box. I also recently came across some funny, and seemingly authentic, Facebook groups dedicated to Target’s Wine Cubes. There’s “It’s actually boxed wine from Target, but don’t tell anyone!,” “Friends of the Wine Cube by Target” and,my personal favorite, with 529 “likes”, the simple, but unauthorized “Target Wine Cube.” I can tell it’s unauthorized because the description of the loved object is “the bladder of happiness.” Does that sound like marketing-speak to you?
I’m sorry, New Yorkers, my newly-beloved Target Pinot Noir isn’t available in your state, due to the liquor laws that I don’t miss in the slightest. But, for the rest of you, I’d recommend you check it out. And, friends, keep an eye out for the invite to the Zinfandel bottle drinking party, which is surely forthcoming. Help a girl out and come over. I’ve gotta clear some space for more boxes of wine.
I don’t know if we could make it to one of your parties but we’d happily help you out with that backlog when we come visit you when we get back to Texas 😉 PS: loving your posts
We can have a party just for you two! Be sure to get in touch when you are around! We’d love to show you around the homestead, and by then (not sure when you are coming back) we’ll surely have the garden in full swing.