Wine & Spirits

In the first of what promises to be a vast sea inexpensive but high quality wine washing about your ankles, the Black Box has just hit the shelves in Northern California. We tasted the Chardonnay, which shows pear-like fruit, light oak character (ginger, a hint of vanilla), and good mineral notes in the finish. Tasted blind from a 750 ml bottle, our Consumer Tasting Panel concluded that this wine should be priced at $18. And sure enough, the Black Box really is priced at $18, but at 3 liters this Chardonnay is the equivalent of $4.50 a bottle, and because it’s in a collapsible plastic bag, the last glass will be as fresh as the first. To see if the Black Box Chardonnay or Merlot is available in your area, go to www.blackboxwines.com.