Wine Food Pairing…I always thought outside of the box!

Wine food pairing….I always thought outside the box…that is until I recently went to the Miami Boat Show!

My perception of boxed wines had always been that they were really inexpensive and gave you a headache in the morning. Boy, was I wrong! The latest, greatest packaging of wine now includes boxes….great for the boater that has storage and weight issues….go figure! There were several vendors at the show proudly displaying the wines boxes. In addition, samples were being distributed to all who passed by. I was surprised at the quality wines being offered.

I struck up a conversation with one of the Black Box vendors and they explained to me that the 3 - liter box is actually equal to four regular 750ml bottles and is lightweight with no glass to break and no corkscrew required. How many times have I misplaced that darn corkscrew on the boat at that critical moment?

The bag-in-box packaging keeps your wine fresh for 4 weeks after opening. The box contains a vacuum-sealed bag, which prevents the oxidation that spoils bottled wine a few days after opening…even the red wine does not have to be refrigerated after being opened….WOW….what a plus for us space conscious mariners! Believe it or not you can recycle the container (the bag comes out of the box and goes to recycle and the box goes with your cardboard). If not opened the wine will stay fresh for nine months….no need to age this wine, it is meant to drink.

Of course, taste and quality of the wine is the most important thing. I tasted the Chardonnay and it was terrific and the red wine was equally delicious! In fact, everyone around the concession stand thought the wine and its new packaging were something to take seriously.

Does this mean that I will no longer have to stow all those precious wine bottles in the underwear drawers of the boat for those "choppy" crossings? My husband always enjoyed finding one of my hidden treasures at those odd moments…it kind of gave wine food pairing a whole new meaning!

I always say that wine is an adventure, so next time we take the boat to the Bahamas I'm going to stock up on boxes of wine and start thinking inside the box. It will be a challenge to see how many will fit in the hold….CHEERS!!!!!