Thinking Inside the Box

From a bone-dry Spanish white that can accompany appetizers to a sweet French wine that can take you through a cheese plate or dessert, this week's question-and-answer forum turns up a wine to enjoy with every course. Build a dinner party around them, serve them blind, and let your guests guess which one comes from a box instead of a bottle.

Are there any really good box wines out there? I have tried only a few, without much luck, and it seems that there is a lack of reviews in the wine magazines.

-- John W. Copeland, Denver

It's tough enough to convince wine lovers that screw-cap closures are better than the traditional corks; unscrewing a bottle doesn't inspire the same poetry as popping a cork. But convincing them that boxed wines are not inferior is even tougher, which might account for the lack of coverage.

However, because boxed wines are one of the fastest-growing segments of the wine market (up more than 40 percent over a year ago, according to the Nielsen Co.), that should change.

The best we've tasted was at a party in 2005 at the home of chef Daniel Boulud, who was launching his 2004 Dtour Macon - Villages ($37 for a three-liter cylinder, or the equivalent of $9.25 a bottle). We were shocked by the quality that came out of this cardboard tube and the vacuum-sealed bag within it. Later we bought our own three-liter container of the wine, which was still drinkable a good eight weeks after we spigoted our first glass of it.

Since then, we haven't found others of equal quality, but we're sold on the promise of the packaging technology, so we're still searching -- and will let you know about any we uncover in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we'll admit we were pleasantly surprised last week by the 2006 Boho Vineyards Central Coast Chardonnay ($24 for a three-liter box, or the equivalent of $6 a bottle), with subtle cinnamon-poached-pear fruitiness accented by rounded lemon acidity and with a notably creamy finish.

The Boho wine comes in an eco-friendly brown box made of 95 percent recycled materials and printed with 100 percent soy-based ink. Boho claims it generates "a 55 percent smaller carbon footprint and contributes 85 percent less to landfill waste." The wine is available now in Maryland and, as of May 1, nationally. It's definitely worth a taste. One sip had Andrew hungering for a fried oyster po' boy and Karen yearning for chicken or pork chops right off the grill.

After reading some articles about the Jura, I was intrigued enough to buy a bottle of Henri Maire Vin de Paille. What would you serve with it?

-- Lev Raphael, Okemos, Mich.

Vin de paille, or "straw wine," is a relatively rare, warm-climate sweet wine produced almost exclusively in France's Jura region, between Burgundy and Switzerland. Historically, it was made from grapes that had been dried in the sun on straw mats for at least three months. Today, the grapes are often dried in boxes or while hanging, then aged in oak for at least three years. Its honeyed sweetness is concentrated, like that of an ice wine or Sauternes. Vin de paille often is made from chardonnay blended with local white Savagnin and red Poulsard grapes. It is a cellar-worthy style capable of aging for as long as a decade or even several decades.

Its typical high acidity helps it pair with a variety of foods. On the savory side, consider foie gras, aged and/or blue cheeses, or nuts (such as walnuts). For dessert, choose those made with figs or stone fruits (such as apricots), caramel, dark chocolate and/or walnuts.