No one wants to admit they like boxed wine. There’s just more dignity in chugging vino out of a long, slender glass bottle than an overgrown juice box.
But buying a good bottle in this economy can put a ding in one’s weekly food budget, requiring some practical thought. The average 1-liter bottle of wine can cost $20 to $30. Compare that with the average wine box, which costs just as much but holds 4 times the volume — equivalent to four bottles of wine. Do a little math, and that overgrown juice box is tough to beat.
The trick is finding a Chateau Latour brand within a Carlo Rossi budget. A good starting place is downtown Silver Spring’s county-owned liquor depot, which carries 3-liter boxes of Pinot Evil for $23 each. The cartons of French Pinot Noir — that red made made famous in the movie “Sideways” — are imprinted with a sketch of (what else?) a trio of monkeys, each covering its eyes, ears and mouth. The box’s tag line: “A guilty pleasure”.
Courtesy of Flickr user Moltron 3030
Clever name aside, there’s nothing bad about this wine. Pinot Evil is light and fruity, with the distinct flavors of cherries and plums found in most European Pinot Noirs. (By comparison, its cousins from California and Oregon have a darker, earthy taste.)
It’s an easy-to-drink red for the occasional wine drinker, with almost none of the bitter taste of tannins found in reds like Cabernet Sauvignon. Over the course of a week, one carton of Pinot Evil washed down everything from a spinach and feta pizza to leftover Chinese food. Indeed, it’s a great “pizza wine”— one that doesn’t need a fancy dinner to be enjoyed.
Sure, the alcohol tastes a little strong on the finish and overpowers the fruitiness. And fans of more fruity Pinots might find Pinot Evil’s flavor watered down. But it’d be tough to find a bottled wine that’s more durable: The box of Pinot Evil reviewed here never surrendered its freshness, despite being tapped regularly over several days.
Hands down, a great go-to wine. It’s good to be Evil.
Maggie Ardiente is The Penguin newsroom’s sommelier and writes for the blog “Wine For Your 20s”.
Photos courtesy of Flickr users Moltron 3030, Carrie Loves Puppies and Just Karen.
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Boxed wines and rosés are back in vogue. Just ask The Penguin's sommeliers.
I just bought a 3L box here in TN for 17 dollars. I figured I liked Pinot Noir, but when I tasted this wine, it was a bit lighter than I expected. I thought it would be more like a hearty burgundy. I am no wine expert. I picked it over Hardy’s Cabernet box and Delicato Cabernet, just to try it. I like the Hardys and Delicato but haven’t had them for a while.
Now I have read some other reviews and people say you need to let the wine breathe for an hour and a half for the flavor to come out. I think this is good as I will be drinking this box rather slowly, but not sure if I have the time to air it out when I get home from work. Maybe it will mellow in the bag since I opened it?
It was an ok wine, but I expected more. Not being an expert, I didn’t know what to expect. I like boxes because I don’t have to deal with drinking the whole bottle right away. Maybe I should pour a glass before I go to work so it is ready when I get home from work?
I have had the Pinot Evil in the past and was rather unexcited about it. My box preference is the Black Box Shiraz, also available at the county store. Stay away from Hardy’s; it’s bitter and flat.
You missed some very important points about the benefits of box wine:
Another great dirt cheap wine is the 2007 Yellow Tail Cabernet. It’s smooth with winter spices.
Editor’s note: Yikes! Chemistry! Now I really need a drink. — JD (Aug 14, 2008)
We’re big fans of the three monkey Pinot at our house. In addition to the medicinal qualities, we like it for the price, its availability at the corner wine store/market in Woodmoor and its ease in entertaining a large group in a small house. We often decant into a carafe, let it breathe & even our fanciest friends enjoy.