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If you’re like me, the holidays mean a fully booked calendar, occasionally hosting, and often flitting between friends and family as a guest. Given I’m a sommelier, it often falls to me to bring wine—or at least bring good wine.
As someone blessed with a large friend group and an even larger family, rather than shuffle up to a party juggling half a dozen bottles of wine, I turn to my secret weapon for the season: boxed wine. It’s a category that has blossomed over the past few years, and finding delicious, reliable, food-friendly options is a lot easier than it was in the past.
No worrying about running out of wine, and on the off chance there are leftovers, boxed wine stays good for several weeks. I also love that the bag-in-a-box format is a more sustainable option than the classic bottle. As far as I’m concerned, boxed wine is the best way to keep everyone’s glasses topped up while leaving me with more in the bank to spend on presents. Having sipped through many, these are the two boxed wines I turn to throughout the holiday season.
Simply Recipes / Original House / Vidigal
The Original House Wine Chardonnay 3L, $21.99
I find chardonnay always goes down well at get-togethers. The palate-cleansing acidity. The expressive fruit. The sheer versatility of dishes it pairs with when it’s time to sit down to dinner. Original House Wine’s take on the popular grape variety offers a brilliant balance between crisp acidity and a ripe character led by tropical fruits. For an easy-drinking sipper I know will have folks circling back for a second glass, this is one of my go-tos.
We open with yellow apple and quince, backed by lemon, lemon curd, and clementines. There’s ripe yellow nectarine and tons of pineapple, all kept in check by a fresh acidity. It’s fantastically creamy on the palate, making it a top contender for pairing with crab legs drenched in butter or a simple, but perfectly crisp-skinned roast chicken. Better still? You can scoop up this fantastic chardonnay at most supermarkets.
Vidigal Wines Porta 6 Vinho Tinto 3L, $27.99
This Portuguese red blend brings a flush of Iberian ripeness to any get-together, and it’s available at Trader Joe’s. If there are no boxes to be found, TJ’s has bottles in stock as a backup. Double win. Hailing from vineyards just north of Lisbon, the Porta 6 Vinho Tinto is made from a blend of local Portuguese grapes: 50% tinta roriz (aka tempranillo), 40% Castelao, and 10% touriga nacional.
Porta 6 is moreishly ripe (it doubles as a brilliant base for spiced mulled wine), with layers of cherry preserves, raspberry, wild berries, and sun-kissed plum. A second sip reveals sweet baking spices, baked earth, a touch of dried herbs. There’s a whole lot going on in the glass at its price point, and it never fails to impress across vintages.
I find blends more forgiving when there’s a medley of dishes on the table. The bright acidity and medium tannins mean a box of Porta 6 can carry you from devils on horseback to your post-roast beef tenderloin cheeseboard. When we’re talking value for money, Porta 6 always makes my top ten.
