Remember when boxed wines were the rage? They were introduced in the 1980s as a convenient, longer-lived alternative to bottled wine. The only problem was the wines really weren’t that good. You’d get what you paid for: cheap bottled wine in a box.
All that’s changed, though, as we’ve adapted to wine packaging becoming more environmentally friendly. We’re now more comfortable with metal, screw-off wine caps rather than corks, and wines in cans are trendy. And consumers have gone back to the box as the wine improved. Companies such as Really Good Boxed Wine (reallygoodboxedwine.com) are giving us some really good wines in a box. The newest offering, a 2019 cabernet from a vineyard in Paso Robles, California, has even gotten a nod from master sommelier Andy Myers.
But they don’t come cheap. I talked to Really Good Boxed Wine founder and CEO Jake Whitman recently about boxed wines, wondering if people would really spend upward of $65 for a boxed wine.
“We believe the world is finally ready for a better boxed wine,” he said.
According to an article in USA Today, demand for boxed wines skyrocketed during the worst of COVID-19, jumping a whopping 36% during a 15-week period in the spring of 2020. The surge in this wine category doesn’t appear to be stopping either.
So how does that translate to Chattanooga wine shops? Steve Nix, manager of Vine & Barrel on Hixson Pike, says sales of boxed wines picked up tremendously during 2020, stayed steady through 2021 and continue to do well. He adds that’s partially due to the fact that vintners are putting better-quality wines in boxes rather than bottles.
Boxed wines have about a 50% lower carbon footprint versus four 750-milliliter glass bottles. That amount brings the average cost to below $20 per bottle – and that’s pretty reasonable. Of course, you could go for Franzia or Bota Box, two of several cheap boxed wines that are priced under $20. But we’re back to that you-get-what-you-pay-for thing. One taste will convince you.
To date, Really Good Boxed Wine offers a 2021 pinot noir rose from the Russian River Valley – my favorite wine region in California, by the way – and a 2021 sauvignon blanc from California’s Alexander/Dry Creek valleys in Sonoma County, in addition to the 2019 cabernet. A 2020 Russian River pinot noir is sold out already after two releases. That’s how popular boxed wines have become.
One caveat however. While boxed wines last longer than bottled wines once opened, boxed wines do have an expiration date. So, if you plan on serving a crowd, boxed wine is a good choice. If it’s just you or you and a mate, drink up before the date on the box or you might end up with a box of vinegar.
OFF THE BOOKSHELF
America’s Test Kitchen never ceases to amaze me with all of the cookbooks it publishes. They are prolific. Its most recent, “The Savory Baker,” takes baking to a new level with recipes for foods such as Pumpkin Seed Crackers, Sweet Potato Cornbread and this Chicken Pot Pie, a new take on a classic.
The book has just been released and is in bookstores and online at your favorite bookseller now.
Chicken Pot Pie With Savory Crumble Topping
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs or combination of both
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 small celery ribs, chopped fine
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 ounces cremini mushrooms stems, trimmed, caps wiped clean and sliced thin
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon tomato paste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3/4 cup frozen baby peas
Crumble topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
1 ounce Parmesan cheese finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
For the chicken:
Bring chicken and broth to simmer in a covered Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until chicken is just done, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to a large bowl. Pour broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup, and reserve. Do not wash the Dutch oven; set it aside. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, and heat oven to 450 degrees.
For the topping:
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of the flour. Using fingers, rub the butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream, and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces ranging from 1/2 to 3/4 inch each onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and starting to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Set aside.
For the filling:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, celery, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small, bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.
Heat remaining tablespoon oil in the empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms; cover and cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes. Remove cover, and stir in soy sauce and tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, mushrooms are well browned and dark fond begins to form on the surface of the pan, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with chicken and vegetables. Set aside.
Heat butter in the empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour, and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons parsley.
Stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce. Pour mixture into 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon parsley, and serve. Makes about 6 servings.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or annebraly.com.
Anne Braly