Hold on haters. Before you get all judgey about boxed wines sip on this: At least 50% of wine produced and/or sold in Australia comes in a box. I mean what is there to hate? Cheaper to box vs. bottle. Better for the environment. Cheaper to ship/transport. More comes in a box. It doesn’t break if you drop it. Better wines are getting boxed now! Did I mention cheap? 5L in a box…that’s 5 bottles of wine for $12.99 – $14.99. Just saying…

Notes from the box:

A new beginning – Teresa Franzia, my grandmother, planted her first vineyard along the road to Yosemite in 1906. Her family survived Prohibition by selling these grapes to home winemakers back East.
When prohibition ended, my father and his six brothers and sisters rebuilt the winery brick by brick, barrel by barrel… everyone pitched in. After the war, my uncle’s new advertising slogan, “Make Friends with Franzia,” introduced a new generation to wine.
As we enter our second century of winemaking, we strive to uphold Teresa’s legacy of quality, freshness and value. Not just by winning competitions around the world but more importantly, by helping to bring the enjoyment of good wine to your home each night.
Franzia’s box goes on to boast that they are “the world’s most cost and carbon efficient wine.” They are 50% more carbon efficient than 750ml glass bottles. Lighter than heavy glass bottles, Franzia “WineTaps” require fewer trucks to deliver the same amount of wine resulting in less emissions, less pollution, less cost and less greenhouse gasses. (*Boxed wine allows for more room for packaging notes. So much more room for activities!)

My Notes:

There is nothing quite like opening up a brand new box of wine and tapping that first glass. It’s like embarking on the first steps of an epic journey. A nice light straw color greets you as you approach the lightly aromatic wine. Nothing overly powerful or immediately discernable, but a pleasant aroma, as you go in for the first sip. Perfectly chilled, you are greeted with a smooth, crisp blend of…well…crisp white. I think that’s the beauty of this wine. It’s simple, refreshing and requires zero thought to enjoy.

Modify it! Don’t be scared. It averages out to be about $3 for a 750ml bottle. That’s cheaper than a beer out at a bar. Throw some frozen grapes in there! Maybe a couple of strawberry slices. Hell, throw an ice cube in it. It’s great extra cold. No one is going to get offended if you “personalize” it. It’s not a $180 Cabernet Franc or anything.

My recommendation? Half a glass of Franzia Crisp White with a half a glass of San Pellegrino Limonata. Yes, the sparkling water with 18% lemon juice. Don’t be cheap and get the lemon flavored Perrier. That’s just disgusting. I mean come on now, splurge a little. You already paid next to nothing for the wine. They have other flavors too that are fantastic, but I’m drinking the limonata right now. Holy mother of (insert deity of choice here) that is tasty and refreshing! It’s like a white wine Radler! If you aren’t familiar with Radlers it’s beer mixed with sparkling lemonade and popular in Germany. I highly suggest reading this post for a more detailed explanation of my most recent beer fixation: http://thewinegetter.com/2013/05/16/radler-the-solution-to-my-beer-dilemma/

This wine pairs well with some good spicy Indian food, good company and funny movies. I had the pleasure of all three when I opened up this box. It would also compliment chicken and shellfish dishes as well as grilled veggies and a backyard gathering.

On a scale of “this tastes like piss” to “oops, I just drank the whole box” I would give this a “Katie and I put a serious hurt on this box the night we opened it. I’d maybe say we killed half of it. I like to think this wine went over well.” Would I buy it again? I’d keep this on standby/regular rotation especially during the summer months.

Final Grade: A (bonus points for customizability)