Gift guide: Wine in a box

Photograph: Heami Lee

A bottle of wine is one of those fail-safe party gifts, but imagine handing someone a box of the stuff with a straight face? Despite its stigma, the truth is a box has many advantages: The vacuum-sealed bag inside can preserve its contents for weeks after opening—unlike the rapid degradation one gets with an uncorked bottle—and the bulk packaging lowers production and transportation costs, savings that get passed on to you. If we were smarter, we’d all be drinking much of our everyday wine from boxes, but few companies have been willing to go up against the public’s negative perceptions. That may soon change. Wineberry, an import firm that specializes in the vins of France, has taken the brave step of selling five quality wines in handsome pine boxes (the wood, grown sustainably in Bordeaux, is the same type used for the crates that ship the region’s bottles). Attractive enclosure aside, it’s what is inside that counts—the equivalent of four very drinkable bottles. Among the three reds and two whites available is a 2006 Chateau Moulin de la Roquille ($39; compare with about $16 by the bottle), a softly tannic red bordeaux that smells like black currants and oak; the chardonnay-based Baronne du Chatelard from Burgundy ($49), meanwhile, is a refreshing white with hints of vanilla and honeydew. Shame-free boxed wine…what a novelty. Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit, 5 W 19th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-929-2323)

EXPERIENCE IT!

Membership in the American Sommelier Association is open to wine lovers 21 and over, and offers perks like invites to free and discounted tastings and courses, along with access to their library. 580 Broadway between W Houston and Prince Sts, suite 716 (212-226-6805, americansommelier.org). One-year membership $136.

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