Roll out the barrel to keep wine fresh

One of the latest variations on the theme has a back-to-the-future aspect: The wine is packaged in plastic bags similar to those used in boxed wines, but in this case the bag is housed in an elegant wooden barrel.

“This is the reinterpretation of history,” says Jean-Charles Boisset, president of Boisset Family Estates. “We wanted to create something very unique for restaurants and hotels and eventually for someone at home.”

Boisset Family Estates runs DeLoach Vineyards in the Russian River Valley region of California’s Sonoma County, which has been selling what it calls the barrel-to-barrel concept for more than a year, and recently launched the program at the company’s St. Helena, Calif.-based Raymond Vineyards.

As with boxed wines, the bag-in-barrel approach comes with the advantage of not having to ship and recycle glass bottles, and the wine stays fresh longer. Mr. Boisset says the unfilled 10-liter bag weighs about 2.4 ounces, 99 percent less than a 9-liter case of empty glass bottles.

So far, about 800 of the 10-liter barrels have been shipped to restaurants and bars. DeLoach also recently introduced a 3-liter version for home use.

At Chicago-based Wildfire Wine & Spirits, a small chain of steak-and-seafood restaurants, director Brad Wermager said he was drawn to the concept because it was different and “we liked the idea that it was good for the environment.”

Wildfire has 30 wines available by the glass, and Mr. Wermager has considered buying wine in kegs as another way to save on bottle waste. He likes the fact that the barrel is something that can be put on display. “It’s a good conversation piece,” he says.

Bag-in-box wines have come a long way since the days when they were mostly the butts of jokes. Many have won high praise, and they’re becoming more common on store shelves.

Still, Raymond winemaker Stephanie Putnam says she had some qualms about the new packaging.