Wine 1121

Good wine is increasingly finding its way into bags and boxes—formats long associated with inexpensive, mass-produced bottles. Producers are beginning to challenge that reputation with distinctive wines made from carefully grown grapes.

Chicago beverage consultant Dylan Melvin, co-founder of My Dear Friends, sells small-production wines from family-owned growers in South Africa’s Western Cape. They come in colorful 1.5-liter “Bagnums,” each holding about two standard bottles.

The packaging is unusual, but Melvin says the wine matters most. His goal is to make expressive wines more approachable and easy to share.

Bag-in-box wines use a flexible pouch fitted with a tap, either sold on its own or placed inside a cardboard box. They weigh less than glass bottles, are easier to carry and can have a smaller environmental footprint. The pouch also collapses as wine is poured, limiting oxygen exposure and helping the wine stay fresh for weeks after opening.

Premium boxed wine has been popular for years in Nordic countries. In Sweden, bag-in-box accounted for nearly half of wine sold by volume in 2025, with options ranging from everyday selections to wines made from well-known grapes and regions. In the United States, the move toward higher-quality wines in these formats has been slower.

A change of heart at Tablas Creek

At first glance, boxed wine might seem an unlikely choice for Tablas Creek Vineyard, a Paso Robles winery founded in partnership with Château de Beaucastel, the renowned Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer. Tablas Creek is known for elegant, age-worthy Rhône-style wines and has also built a reputation for sustainable farming. It has been certified organic since 2003, biodynamic since 2017 and Regenerative Organic Certified since 2020.

The winery began considering boxed wine after reviewing its carbon footprint. Partner and general manager Jason Haas found that glass bottles and their transportation were major sources of emissions. He estimated that switching to bag-in-box packaging could reduce packaging-related carbon emissions by about 84%.

Haas was initially reluctant, concerned about boxed wine’s association with cheap products. A friend challenged him to reconsider: if a winery like Tablas Creek wouldn’t help change that perception, who would?

In 2022, the winery offered its first boxed wine, Patelin de Tablas rosé, to wine club members. The three-liter box—equivalent to four standard bottles—cost nearly $100 and sold out in four hours. Many buyers told Haas they had never bought boxed wine before. Demand for later releases led the winery to triple production and expand distribution.

For customers, freshness became another selling point. Unlike an opened bottle, the pouch limits oxygen exposure after each pour. “It’s like having wine on tap at your convenience,” Haas says—especially useful for people who want a glass now and then without opening a whole bottle.

The wine comes first

For both Haas and Melvin, packaging is secondary to the wine itself. My Dear Friends’ skin-contact white, for example, is made from dry-farmed grapes grown by third-generation farmers in Swartland. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented in small batches with native yeast.

Tablas Creek’s Patelin de Tablas wines are designed to be fresh and youthful, unlike the winery’s more age-worthy bottlings. They share its commitment to organically grown grapes, native yeast fermentation and careful blending.

Melvin sees the Bagnum as a format made for sharing—at holiday gatherings, picnics and house parties, as well as at dinner. “What made it special was making something worth sharing,” he says.

Bagged and boxed wines are generally intended to be enjoyed young and fresh, not stored for years. Their recommended shelf life is often about six months from the date they are filled. Once opened, however, they may last considerably longer than expected. My Dear Friends’ supplier estimates that a Bagnum can stay fresh for up to 45 days; Tablas Creek recommends several weeks for its boxes. Haas says he once found a nearly empty box of rosé in his refrigerator six months after opening it—and the last glass was still delicious. Refrigeration helps, even for red wines, which can be brought back to serving temperature before drinking.

Because premium options can be difficult to find in stores, buying directly from wineries or specialty sellers may offer more choice and fresher stock. Importer Communal Brands, which focuses on small, low-intervention producers, offers a range of bagged and boxed wines, including its popular Hérisson Rouge, a Burgundy blend of gamay and pinot noir.

Bagged and boxed wines to try

• My Dear Friends 2024 Red Table Wine, Swartland — 1.5-liter Bagnum, $30: A light-bodied blend of cinsault, mourvèdre, syrah and touriga nacional from sustainably farmed, dry-farmed vineyards. Made with native yeast and suited to serving slightly chilled. Listed at Foxtrot.

• Tablas Creek 2025 Patelin de Tablas Blanc, Paso Robles — 3-liter box, $105: A fragrant Rhône-inspired blend of grenache blanc, viognier, roussanne, marsanne, vermentino and picpoul blanc, with stone-fruit flavors and a touch of spice. Available from Tablas Creek.

• Bedrock Wine Co. 2025 Ode to Lulu Rosé, California — 3-liter box, $100: A savory rosé inspired by Domaine Tempier in Bandol and made primarily from mourvèdre vines around 130 years old. Distribution is limited. See Bedrock Wine.

• Ryme Cellars NV Orange Sunshine, California — 3-liter box, $105: A lively, easy-drinking orange wine made from skin-fermented vermentino, pinot gris and greco. Available from Ryme Cellars.

• Schplink 2025 Grüner Veltliner, Weinviertel — 3-liter box, $40: A crisp white with green apple and lime flavors, made by an 11th-generation Austrian family estate. Available through Communal Brands.

• Colette Cabernet Franc, Bourgueil — 3-liter box, $45: A light, aromatic Loire Valley red with raspberry and cherry notes. Certified organic and enjoyable lightly chilled. Available through Communal Brands.

• Vagabonde Rouge, Côtes du Rhône — 1.5-liter Bagnum, $25: A fruit-forward red with gentle tannins and a refreshing edge from cinsault. Made with organically grown grapes by a small cooperative near Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Available through Communal Brands.

American sparkling wine is gaining a new distinction: long aging. Wines kept on their lees for five years or more—and sometimes close to two decades—develop greater complexity and texture than younger releases. What was once a rarity is becoming a small but growing category, blending traditional Champagne-making methods with the character of American vineyards.

At Napa Valley’s Domaine Carneros, founded by the Taittinger family, the 2018 Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs spent seven years aging on its lees after its second fermentation in the bottle. This extended aging helps create flavors such as brioche, shortbread, and crème fraîche, along with a creamy texture. The cool conditions of the 2018 vintage also preserved acidity and contributed citrus, lychee, and Bartlett pear notes.

Schramsberg Vineyards, which has made sparkling wine since 1965, has released the 2007 Late Disgorged J. Schram, a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend aged for nearly 20 years. Winemaker Hugh Davies says its richness comes partly from barrel and malolactic fermentation in the base wine, while the crisp acidity and layered fruit reflect California’s cool North Coast vineyards and Pacific influence.

Oregon producers are exploring the style, too. Domaine Willamette’s 2017 Extended Tirage Brut is its first long-aged release. Seven years on the lees gave it more texture, depth, and integration, while preserving the character of the estate’s cool-climate vineyards. The winery says its aim is not to imitate Champagne, but to make a distinctive wine rooted in Willamette Valley terroir.

For rosé, Gran Moraine’s Extended Tirage Brut NV spends six years aging on its lees. Winemaker Shane Moore says the wine is picked to retain acidity and freshness, allowing richer and more layered flavors to emerge over time. As the fruit becomes less prominent, finer bubbles and more intricate notes come forward.

The added depth also makes these wines especially suited to food. Sommelier Arthur Hon recommends Domaine Carneros 2000 Le Rêve Late Disgorged Blanc de Blancs with roast chicken or pork Milanese, whose savory flavors complement the wine’s fruit and toasted-almond notes. Gran Moraine’s rosé, meanwhile, pairs well with wagyu steak frites, according to wine director Elaine Kim.

With careful aging, American sparkling wines are showing that patience can be more than a virtue—it can be a defining ingredient.

As wine sales become less profitable, a former Napa winemaker has found a new use for wine grapes: turning them into raisins.

The product, sold under the label The Wine RayZyn Co., is made from wine grapes rather than the varieties traditionally used for raisins. On Sept. 29, 2026, The Sacramento Bee’s food team tried the raisins in a taste test.

After nearly five years working alone on the San Francisco Chronicle’s busy wine beat, the paper’s wine reporter is welcoming a new colleague: Lucy Hodgman.

Hodgman has already covered a broad range of wine stories since joining the Chronicle several weeks ago. Her reporting has explored barriers to vineyard events under a new California law, vineyard robots designed to combat grape disease, and Caymus Vineyards’ opposition to a contested water-conservation plan. She has also reported on new San Francisco wine bars, a Silicon Valley-area winery’s new tasting room and the growing interest in Croatian wine around the Bay Area.

A Brooklyn native, Hodgman studied English at Yale, where she led the Yale Daily News as editor-in-chief. She began her journalism career through Hearst’s fellowship program, reporting on state government at the Times Union in Albany. She joined the Chronicle in 2025 and covered climate, homelessness and breaking news, including stories about housing policy, mountain lions, severe storms and a large pipe organ in need of a new home.

That range of experience will serve her well on the wine beat, which covers more than tasting rooms. The team also reports on land-use disputes, politics, climate change and farmworker rights, while following an industry experimenting with new ways to attract younger drinkers.

Hodgman and her colleague will share coverage of breaking news, new openings and features. Based in San Francisco’s Mission District, where she lives with her cat, Juno, Hodgman is expected to focus especially on stories from the city, the East Bay and the South Bay, while continuing to make trips to Wine Country.

She will also take over the Chronicle’s wine newsletter for a week. You can read more about her work in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Finding an impressive bottle of wine for $20 or less is possible if you look beyond famous labels and premium regions. Wine experts recommend focusing on value, not price alone: costs can reflect land, labor, scarcity, and reputation as much as what’s in the glass.

1. Try less familiar grapes and regions

Popular grapes such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon often carry higher demand. Look instead for options like Chenin Blanc, Tannat, or Gamay. You can also explore less expected styles from well-known wine countries—for example, German sparkling wine, Pinot Noir, or Chardonnay.

Labels that name a specific region, such as Sonoma rather than simply California, can offer a useful clue about where the grapes were grown.

2. Check for quality designations

European labels often include designations that indicate wines were made under defined standards. In Germany, look for the VDP eagle; in Italy, DOCG; in France, AOP; and in Spain, DOCa. These marks don’t guarantee you’ll love every bottle, but they can help narrow your search.

3. Explore neighboring regions and a producer’s other wines

A famous wine region’s less celebrated neighbors can deliver similar character at lower prices. For instance, Campo de Borja Garnacha can offer ripe fruit, spice, and smooth tannins for less than many Rioja Tempranillos.

You can also seek out alternatives to prestigious styles: Crémant instead of Champagne, Cru Beaujolais instead of red Burgundy, or Gigondas instead of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Even renowned producers may make more affordable wines alongside their sought-after bottlings.

4. Ask a knowledgeable seller

Independent wine shops and experienced restaurant sommeliers can point you toward strong-value bottles. Share your budget, the kinds of wines you usually enjoy, and what you’re serving with dinner. Those details help them make a more tailored recommendation.

5. Match the bottle to the occasion

Think about what you want from the wine. More affordable bottles are often made to be enjoyed young, with generous fruit and an approachable style. Costlier, more complex wines may be designed to develop over many years in a cellar.

Wine is subjective, and a high price doesn’t automatically mean a better match for your tastes or your meal. A modestly priced bottle can be a satisfying choice for tonight—even if you admire the prestige of more expensive wines.

Read the original article on Food & Wine

New York City’s Wine & Food Festival returns for its 19th year from October 15–18, 2026, bringing more than 50 events to venues across the city. The program includes tastings, cooking demonstrations, rooftop gatherings and special dinners. Some events have sold out, but tickets remain for select experiences through the festival website.

The festival’s lineup includes chefs, performers and other public figures such as Rachael Ray, Bert Kreischer, Machine Gun Kelly, Nigel Ng, Kwame Onwuachi, D-Nice, Method Man and Whoopi Goldberg. Luann de Lesseps, Dorinda Medley and Kelly Bensimon will also appear at a Friday event hosted by Bryan and Michael Voltaggio.

The festivities begin Thursday, October 15, with the Blue Moon Burger Bash, hosted by Rachael Ray and Bert Kreischer at The Rooftop at Pier 17. A celebrity panel will help judge the burger competition. That evening, chef Nobu Matsuhisa will host a Peruvian-inspired dinner, marking his festival debut.

Friday’s events include Best of the Best, featuring more than 15 James Beard Award winners, nominees and semifinalists, and the debut of Flavors of Bollywood, celebrating Indian cuisine and culture.

On Saturday, Kwame Onwuachi will host New York After Dark, a rooftop event pairing a chef-curated meal with music from D-Nice. Sunday begins with Morning Buzz, a new non-alcoholic event focused on the city’s coffee, matcha, tea and breakfast scene. The festival closes with The Cookout, hosted by JJ Johnson and Angela Yee, featuring a performance by Method Man and an appearance by Whoopi Goldberg.

The Grand Tasting at the Invesco QQQ Festival Campus in the Seaport remains a central part of the weekend, with restaurant tastings, wine and spirits, demonstrations and book signings. Hosts include Marcus Samuelsson, Andrew Rea, Ayesha Nurdjaja and Michael Symon.

Also returning is FoodieCon, a day of creator-focused conversations, challenges, tastings and meet-and-greets. Other events include Oyster Bash, Tacos & Tequila, chef collaboration dinners and the festival’s first non-alcoholic dinner, at The Maze NYC.

Net proceeds will benefit the Event Zero Foundation, which promotes sustainability and environmental responsibility in the events industry, and the James Beard Foundation, which supports excellence in the culinary community.

A quality bottle of red wine doesn’t need to cost a fortune. In 2026, spending around $20 to $25 is a practical sweet spot: it’s often enough to find wines that better express their grape variety or growing region, without paying a premium for prestige or rarity.

Wines in the roughly $15–$25 range are often called “premium,” though the label is an industry category, not a promise of quality. You can still find enjoyable bottles for less than $15, but moving beyond that price point can improve your odds of finding a carefully made wine.

Spending more can bring further improvements, but the value gains tend to diminish. The jump from a $10 bottle to one priced around $20 may be more noticeable than the difference between a $20 bottle and one costing $40 or $50. Higher prices may reflect features such as extended barrel aging, scarce grapes, or a famous region—details that may matter more to collectors and experienced tasters than to casual drinkers.

Ultimately, what counts as a good wine depends on personal taste. For most people, a bottle around $20 should offer a satisfying balance of quality and value.

Wine snobbery often generates lively debate, especially in discussions about the ideal wine glass shape and style. Recently, I consulted leading restaurateurs with extensive wine backgrounds to understand what really matters when it comes to selecting the perfect glass for enjoying your favorite red, white, or rosé.

While many upscale dining spots favor thin-stemmed glasses, the consensus among the experts is that personal preference and the setting play crucial roles in this choice.

Understanding Wine Glass Selection

Shape Matters
The shape of a wine glass can profoundly affect the taste of the wine. Various experts emphasize that the size and curvature of the bowl are crucial. A well-designed wine glass should enhance the tasting experience without being a distraction.

Michael Mackenzie from Poon’s at Somerset House explains, “Balance in the design and proportions is essential not only for visual pleasure but also for tasting.” He notes that achieving the right blend of comfort in handling a glass and its visual appeal is key.

Personal Taste
Anna Patrowicz, sommelier at Akub, expresses a personal preference for thin-stemmed glasses, noting that they convey elegance and sophistication. However, she emphasizes that the choice should align with the restaurant’s decor and atmosphere. For her restaurant, slightly thicker glasses work better with their organic table surfaces.

Anna also highlights the significance of the rim’s thinness for a better drinking experience. A glass should ideally feel almost non-existent when sipping wine. “The size and shape should allow for sufficient aeration, accommodating a standard pour while enhancing the aromas,” she says.

Versatile Recommendations
Restaurateur Abe Drewery recommends the Richard Brendon x Jancis Robinson Universal Glass as a prime choice due to its versatility, suggesting it’s suited for all types of wines. Other favorites discussed include the Zalto Universal Wine Glass and the Schott Zwiesel Vina Burgundy Glass, both known for their refined shapes and suitable sizes.

Conclusion: Your Personal Choice

Ultimately, your selection of wine glasses should be a reflection of your personal taste and the ambiance of your dining experience. Whether you prefer slender stems or contemporary shapes with thicker bases, the choice is subjective. Experts agree that the right wine glass makes a significant difference in your overall enjoyment, emphasizing the importance of finding a glass that feels beautiful in your hand and highlights the delightful qualities of your wine.

Additional Reading

• Best Wine Glasses
• Poon’s at Somerset House
• Akub
• Richard Brendon x Jancis Robinson Wine Glasses

To address the growing demand for moderation in drinking habits, winemakers are increasingly adopting techniques from the nonalcoholic wine industry to produce low-alcohol wines. This shift allows them to create options that are not only lower in alcohol but also lower in calories while maintaining enjoyable flavors and aromas, appealing particularly to wellness-conscious consumers.

Perris Fiori, the senior vice president of marketing for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, notes that the moderation trend has transitioned from a seasonal phenomenon to a year-round behavior, providing consumers with more alternatives for various occasions. For instance, Chateau Ste. Michelle has introduced its LIGHT series, featuring wines with 9% alcohol-by-volume (ABV) and 80 calories per serving, intentionally crafted to retain balance and flavor.

The focus on calorie content appears to resonate more with consumers than the alcohol level itself. Fiori explains that many consumers prioritize calorie counts over ABV, as the relationship between the two can be confusing. This insight has driven winemakers to ensure that their lower-calorie wines still deliver a high-quality experience.

The Duckhorn Portfolio’s recent launch of the Decoy Featherweight series incorporates this approach, removing a portion of alcohol from full-strength California wines to maintain the essence while lowering their ABV to 9% and calories to 80. Chanel Caplan, Duckhorn’s chief marketing officer, cites significant growth in the lower-calorie wine segment and highlights increasing popularity among women, millennials, and Gen Z drinkers.

Industry experts affirm that no- and low-alcohol wines create inclusivity within the traditionally exclusive wine industry. Sarah Tracey, a certified sommelier, appreciates the convenience of readily available lower-alcohol choices in grocery stores, enabling consumers to make informed selections without extensive research.

Additionally, wines such as the 7% ABV sparkling rosé Que Pop have gained traction, especially in contexts like music festivals where casual enjoyment is key. Rob Fischer, from Valkyrie Selections, emphasizes the noticeable trend of shifting consumer preferences towards lower-alcohol options.

Ultimately, the quest for enjoyable wines that align with health-conscious choices continues to influence production techniques. Experts like Peter Eastlake advocate for the quality of flavor in lower-alcohol wines, while Keyatta Mincey highlights the benefits of partial de-alcoholization, balancing expressiveness with lower alcohol content.

Recommended Low-Alcohol Wines to Try:

• 2025 Chateau Ste. Michelle LIGHT Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($12)
• 2025 Kim Crawford Illuminate New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc ($15)
• 2025 Liquid Light Wines Washington Rosé ($15)
• 2025 Que Pop Sonoma Coast Session Rosé ($20)
• 2024 Sunny With a Chance Of Flowers Monterey Chardonnay ($17)
• 2024 Wölffer Hamptons Light Low-Alcohol Rheinhessen Pinot Blanc ($24)
• 2023 Decoy Featherweight California Cabernet Sauvignon ($25)

Winemakers often keep a watchful eye on the sky during the harvest season, hoping for favorable weather. While California’s vineyard managers face typical agricultural challenges, Giorgi Iukuridze, owner and CEO of SHABO wines in Ukraine, is fixated on a much graver concern: the threat of missile attacks.

Located around 120 miles from the frontlines of the ongoing war, Iukuridze’s winery has been subjected to bombings and drone strikes on seven occasions since the conflict began, with the last incident occurring last New Year’s Eve. Despite these harrowing conditions, he perseveres in the vineyards, maintaining hope amid the chaos.

Iukuridze’s journey into winemaking was unexpected; he initially pursued degrees in politics and international relations, only discovering his passion while working in vineyards across France. His vineyards in southern Ukraine bask in an ideal climate similar to that of Bordeaux, benefiting from dry winters and cooling breezes, though the current war complicates matters immensely.

Despite these adversities, Iukuridze is optimistic about the vintage quality this year, stating that his father, a veteran winemaker, believes it to be exceptional. The winery, founded in 2003 and named after the local village, has seen its share of tumultuous history, from Swiss winemakers establishing it in 1822, to nationalization during the Russian revolution, and later privatization.

Iukuridze takes great pride in cultivating grape varieties, especially saperavi and rkatsiteli from Georgia, and a unique native variety called telti-kuruk, which dates back to the Ottoman era. Yet, while the harvest itself remains a challenging yet feasible task, distributing the wines is fraught with danger and complexity due to the war.

International shipments now reroute through Moldova, and U.S. deliveries must pass through Romania, all while maintaining safety amid ongoing attacks. Personnel shortages due to military enlistment further complicate operations; numerous staff members have joined the military, while the company even resorts to sending accountants into the vineyards.

As the war has escalated, Iukuridze’s team has adapted by providing bottled water to hospitals and schools when water infrastructure was destroyed. He takes pride in these efforts, declaring that despite the rampant destruction, Ukrainians continue to indulge in wine.

Iukuridze recalls a wine fair in Kyiv that attracted no attendees during its first year but saw him sell out all his wine within hours during the second year. The demand for high-quality wines remains robust, as they are highly regarded next to traditional spirit options like vodka.

Although wine sales are crucial for SHABO, brandy production is where the company sees higher profits. Among 250 wine producers in Ukraine, SHABO stands out among the few large-scale operations that survive, despite losing two significant competitors to bombings.

At 28, Iukuridze has prioritized his winery over military duty, as it plays a vital role in generating substantial tax revenue for Ukraine’s economy. He is determined that this winery is just as important in the fight for victory and independence.

Moreover, supporting winemakers like Iukuridze goes beyond just taste; it becomes a testament to resilience amid adversity. SHABO wines are available online at SHABO’s official website, and offer unique varieties such as:

• SHABO Original Collection Rosé 2023 ($20): A refreshing blend of pinot noir and merlot with bright fruit notes.
• SHABO Original Collection Chardonnay 2023 ($20): Exhibiting varietal apple and tropical flavors with balanced acidity.
• SHABO Telti-Kuruk Reserve 2023 ($30): A distinctive white grape with fresh fruit and floral aromas.
• SHABO Saperavi Reserve 2023 ($30): A signature Georgian red with rich berry flavors.
• SHABO Grand Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2023 ($65): A robust blend with a strong tannin structure and aged in French oak for depth.

Winemakers like Iukuridze exemplify courage and adaptability, showcasing how the love for wine persists even amidst the backdrop of conflict.