Think outside the box, they tell us, and there are good things about the advice, although it is not the be-all and end-all response to all problems.
After all, if Dracula had not thought inside the box how to get outside the box, think how many writers and actors would never have had the chance to star or scream.
And here comes Black Box wines. Their slogan is Drink inside the box. It makes sense if you’re selling wine in almost-square packages, and those seeking quite good bargain wine in a package that will not spill between wine store and tailgate party site will be happy here.
Black Box is part of the Constellation Brands empire, and has its own gimmick. The company buys grapes from various parts of the world, makes the wine and packs it into a plastic bag inside a cardboard box that holds about three liters, or four ordinary 750 bottles. That makes an under-$10 package an excellent buy. The whites include an acceptable California Chardonnay from Monterey County and a Pinot Grigio from the Veneto (Venice) region of Italy. Both are 2007 vintage, light and fruity, and since the box fits comfortably into a refrigerator, they are easy to chill. The red, a Cabernet Sauvignon, is a 2007 from the Central Coast appellation, south of Monterey on the way to Santa Barbara.
The box bears instructions for opening and flipping a spigot into place — an easy task — so that the wine can be dispensed, and a test one evening with eight people at a table for a trivia competition, there was neither spillage nor leakage, two admirable qualities. And, as a last fillip of marketing, there also are instructions of removing the plastic bag from the box and placing them in two different containers for recycling.
Black Box wines are available at most supermarkets and retail outlets.
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The search for a gimmick is a constant in the rather-crowded mid-level American wine market. Now we have Cru Vin Dogs, a Santa Rosa, Calif.-based wine operation that contributes at least 10 percent of all sales to charitable organizations that involve dogs, groups like the Alie Foundation, which provides bloodhounds to law enforcement groups, the Morris Animal Foundation’s Cure Canine Cancer campaign and Canine Companions for Independence.
Winemaker Tony Wasowicz finds small lots of grapes or of wine and releases them in limited quantities. Most are under $30, but some, like a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Dry Creek Valley and others from the Best-in-Show series, with a production of only 97 cases, can go as high as $75.
The wines are named for breeds and for specific dogs, with portraits of the dogs on the labels. For example, an ‘05 Chardonnay from Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley, is named for a bloodhound pup who had not been named, but it’s a French-style Chardonnay ($16), acidic and bright, and thankfully lacking the over-toasted oak flavor that so many American Chardonnays tend to pick up. An adult bloodhound named Yogi, the weight of the world shown in his weary eyes, adorns a Cabernet-Syrah in a 75-25 blend ($26), respectively, with the former from Napa and the latter from Sonoma. There are Bordeaux qualities in the finished wine, and it’s a delicious complement to a roast or a steak.
Two other as-yet unnamed puppies, a chocolate Labrador Retriever and a blonde Golden Retriever, adorn labels of a 2006 Sauvignon Blanc that is an Australian import and a 2006 Chardonnay from Sonoma County, respectively. The Sauvignon ($14.50) shows its Australian heritage, brisk, very tart, quite acidic and with a charming finish; it’s a good value. The Chardonnay ($16) is similar to the ‘05, but a year younger and can use more age to smooth out some flavor flaws.
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And a few recent tastings:
On to another animal. The Duckhorn label is a mark of fine wine, and the 2005 Paraduxx, with a pair of redhead ducks on the label (Paraduxx, Pair of Ducks, a word play. Get it?), is a delicious blend of Napa Valley grapes, with Zinfandel (60 percent), Cabernet Sauvignon (32), Merlot (6) and Cabernet Franc (2). Lots of fruit up front, superb balance and flavor, a lengthy finish that leaves a fine taste in the mouth. A good value at $48.
J. Lohr, a Monterey pioneer, is another winemaker with consistent excellence. A pair of ‘06 Chardonnays, labeled Arroyo Vista for the vineyard, October Night for the harvest, are fine, tasty examples of the classic grape at a moderate $26. The acid-alcohol balance is just right in both, the only difference between the two a hint of mango in the latter. Carol’s Vineyard is home to a charming ‘07 Sauvignon Blanc ($24), again a well-balanced wine with good citric components and a pleasing tartness.
–Joe