Wine of the Week: Blackbox California Merlot

This is a new style and package coming out of California and around the world. Most wine is consumed within

  3 years of bottling, so with the rising cost of fuel and other materials, shipping and boxing of better wines is becoming more commonplace. This box holds four bottles of wine, so the cost per bottle comes out to be $5.50. Great aromas of dark fruit and spice filled the glass. The flavors were fantastic; cranberry raisins started popping as soon as the wine hit the tongue, followed by bright fruit flavors and slight hints of oak. The finish flowed with notes of raspberries, with a light spice coating the tongue. Overall, a great wine in a fun package.

FOOD PAIRINGS

  We enjoyed our bottle with pasta and grilled sausage. The flavors in the wine (especially the spice notes) paired perfectly with the sweet spice of the sausage. You can use many different menu ideas with this wine -- anything from meatloaf to grilled steaks. It is soft enough not to overpower many meals and can be enjoyed as an everyday wine.

BEHIND THE SCENES

  One nice thing about a bag in a box wine is that it will stay fresh up to four weeks after opening. So if you enjoy a glass or two a night than this might be a great value for the price, without having to throw away half a bottle every other night. The savings of not having to ship and pay for the heavy bottles is passed to the consumer, which really keeps the cost under $6 a bottle.

  Lain Bradford of Beaufort is a wine writer and reviewer who has achieved his first level master sommelier certificate and is working toward his Certified Wine Educator degree. He only writes about winesavailable in South Carolina and Georgia.