Especially as the holidays approach, many families are trying to adapt their traditions into a greener life. While parents in the fifties might not have thought much about Styrofoam and pollution, they’re concerns for a growing number of Americans. It’s a great trend, but it gets a little tricky during Christmas time, where traditions like cutting down a tree and wrapping endless presents are blatantly not eco friendly. If wine, though, has appeared at your holiday dinner table for generations, it counts among eco friendly home products, at least if it comes in a box.
Using a lot of glass and cork for less than a liter of wine doesn’t seem environmentally conscious. That hasn’t stopped people from drinking it. Wine is about as commonly consumed as water in some cultures—even some American households, especially around the holidays. If your family relies heavily on merlot or pinot noir for celebrations, you can drink it without feeling guilty about the earth by buying it boxed.
Just a few years ago, boxed wine was generally regarded as some of the lowest quality varieties available. Cheap wineries mass distributed their fare by the gallon. It sold for about the price of a standard bottle, and the money saved was flavor lost. The best and most prestigious wines remain those aged in glass bottles, but many fine vineyards have begun selling delicious varieties in boxes. Rather than sacrifice taste, most of the money saved comes from the packaging. A cardboard cube of wine is much cheaper to assemble and ship than four individual bottles. It’s less wasteful, and the boxes can be recycled, making them very eco friendly home products. It may not be an essential food group, but wine is integral to many family’s traditions, so many of them are grateful it’s available in an eco friendly variety.
