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Boxed wine will be topic at Fox Wine

Boxed wines, such as the Maipe Malbec from Argentina, will be one of the wines tasted and discussed at the Fox School of Wine's session on Saturday, April 6. Since 1965, boxed wines have gained a reputation for being mediocre, but in the past decade, the quality has improved. (Photo courtesy of the Fox School of Wine)
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Boxed wine is known by a variety of different names including goon bag, cask wine or bag-in-a-box.

It is packaged in a special plastic bladder that is protected by corrugated cardboard, and was introduced to the world by Australia in 1965.

Shortly afterwards, some California vintners began packaging their wines in boxes.

At that time, the product was awful, said Kirsten Fox, headmaster for the Fox School of Wine.

"It didn’t help that the boxed wine wasn’t part of the European tradition," Fox said during an interview with The Park Record. "So, for years, there was that stigma about it."

In the past 10 years, however, the quality of boxed wine has improved to the point that wine drinkers will find the labels on some of the big-named bottles will direct them to boxes that are filled with the same wines, she said.

"After 40 years of bad wine, things are starting to change, and that is still a hard misconception to overcome," Fox explained.

So, this Saturday, April 6, the Fox School of Wine will give a boxed wine class at the Silver Baron Lodge, 2880 Deer Valley Dr., from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. The cost is $15 per person. Reservations are required and all who participate must be aged 21 and older. RSVPs are being accepted by calling (435) 655-9463 or visiting http://www.foxschoolofwine.com.

There are four reasons Fox wanted to host this class.

"First off, boxes are the most practical container for wines," she said. "Those internal plastic bladders deflate as the wine is extracted, and air, which includes wine’s worst enemy, oxygen, can’t get to the wine. So, the liquid can stay fresh on your counter for up to one month."

The second reason is that boxes are better for the environment.

"Most single boxes can hold and equivalent to four 750-milliliter bottles of wine," Fox said. "Think about all the things involved in four separate bottles of wine, including corking and labeling, and then compare them to one large recyclable plastic bladder and cardboard box. consuming boxed wines, you are decreasing your impact on the environment, not only with the packaging, but also the amount of energy it takes to get the wine to the liquor store. And since boxed wines are in square boxes, which are easier to stack."

Thirdly, the boxed wine isn’t as expensive as bottled wine.

"Because it’s so economical to package wines in boxes, the wine companies have lowered the prices, and they are extremely attractive to wine drinkers," Fox said. "And since they are now putting really good wine into these boxes, I felt it is important to let people know."

During Saturday’s session, participants will receive a card that will guide them through the tasting experience.

"The card will feature the history of boxed wine and we will have five wines, two whites and three reds, available for sampling," Fox said. "All the wines we sample will be available in Utah liquor stores during the spring, mud season."

The class will also show how convenient boxed wines are for hiking and picnics, things Fox likes to do.

"The class is also a quest for my own edification," she said with a laugh. "I love to camp and go on river trips, so this is also an investigatory session as well. You see, when you take a boxed wine along, you don’t have to make sure its corked right or that the bottle will break."

The Fox School of Wine will host a box wine class on Saturday, April 6, at the Silver Baron Lodge, 2880 Deer Valley Dr., from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. Participants will taste and learn about five wines that have been chosen for the weekend theme. The cost is $15 per person. Reservations are required and all who participate must be aged 21 and older. To RSVP, call Kirsten Fox at (435) 655-9463 or visit http://www.foxschoolofwine.com.


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