Wine connoisseurs debate which is better
Some argue that selling wine in lighter packaging, rather than the traditional glass bottle, would make for a more environmentally friendly product. But the argument for boxed wine doesn’t seem practical for local vinters or serious wine drinkers.
Bill Kvaternik, owner of Hunter Valley Wine in Liverpool, said that because wine is a traditional drink, drinkers are oriented to bottles, not boxes.
“From an environmental point of view, wine bottles — made from glass — can be recycled endlessly.”
Most higher-end wines are made to be aged. Boxed wine generally has a shelf time of around nine months from the date of package, and aging will not improve the wine. For wine that can be aged, “Glass has been a proven and prefect container for wine,” Kvaternik assured, “It’s worked for hundreds of years.”
Dr. Julie Barna, Lewisburg, is a self-proclaimed “wine widow,” because her husband — a vinter in New York — spends much of the year out of state.
“The last time I had wine in a box was in college,” Barna recalled laughing.
Environmentally, Barna feels bottles are easily recyclable, and wonders aloud, “are the cardboard boxes even recyclable?”
The answer is yes, the boxes can generally be recycled. The real question is can the wine bladders, which hold the wine, be recycled?
Representatives from Price’s Recycling in Milton, the Coal Township Recycling Center and Penn Recycling in Williamport were unsure what one should do with them. The Internet offers a variety of ideas from using them as boat cushions or flotation devices, but many questions abound include wondering how much oil is used in their making.
For those serious about the beverage, the choice is easy. Barna said, “I like to do food and wine parings. We will serve four or five different wines with different courses.” Somehow she cannot imagine serving her guests from a cardboard box, and the ambiance of cardboard cannot match that of a bottle in a fine wine bucket.
Nonetheless, boxes offer a few benefits bottled wine cannot. Because the package includes more volume than most bottles, it is generally more affordable. Most wine boxes also come with valves that assure air — which begins a wine’s deterioration — can’t enter the package. And for wines that are made to be consumed right away, the lack of aging will not impact its flavor.
Barna considers boxed wines “sippy cups for wine drinkers. They’re a good start if you want to try wine before you move on to a different level.”
Once drinkers decide what flavors they like, they can feel more comfortable selecting finer, more expensive wines.
Spyglass Winery owner Tim Webb thinks both bottles and boxes are acceptable options.
“Screw caps and boxed wines are coming,” Webb said. “For everyday wines, a box is a good package as the bag inside the box collapses and wine does not oxidize,” meaning the wine in the box stays fresh longer than an open bottle.