A BAG of your finest Shiraz, waiter!
THE idea of wine in bags is enough to make some aficionados choke on their expensive claret.
But thanks to an adventurous new breed of winemaker, buying it this way might just show you’re rather more in the know than most.
From magnum-sized 1.5-litre bags, known as bagnums, to 3-litre boxes of drinkable table wine, a new wave of wine bags is being filled with smarter-than-your-average tipples, from some of the world’s top producing regions.
And despite their once naff image, there’s another good reason to reconsider wine bags — the wine will keep fresher for longer. Wine starts to oxidise once in contact with the air, losing freshness over time, but in a bag it’ll keep fresh for weeks.
So, is it time to think out of the box, or are they still best left on the shelf? Here, Femail’s wine expert HELEN
McGINN puts some of the latest wines on the market to the test.
Pheasant Gully Semillon Chardonnay
£13 for 1.5 litres, M&S THIS wine can be found in bottles on the shelves, but in a box it comes with 90per cent less packaging. An impressive claim, even though the bag is not currently recycled.
A blend of two grape varieties from vineyards across South-East Australia, it has lots of tropical fruit aromas — pineapple, tinned peaches — and a bucketful of sunny flavours. Not for those who like delicate wines, but if you prefer big and bold, ship it in. Great value. 3/5
Du Grappin Bagnum Blanc
£28 for 1.5 litres, legrappin.com AUSTrALIAN Andrew Nielsen sources wines for his bagnums from the Beaujolais and Macon regions in Burgundy.
They’re simply packaged, but look smart enough to be taken seriously. They also claim to reduce their carbon footprint by up to 80 per cent, compared with glass.
And it’s one of the best white wines I’ve tasted from a wine bag. Made from the Chardonnay grape, it’s a real classic, with ripe melon flavours and a touch of honey. 5/5
St John Blanc Bag In Box
£31 for 3 litres, stjohnwines.co.uk PIC SAINT-LoUP is a region in the Languedoc in southern France, and it’s a hotbed of great winemaking. This is made exclusively for the top London restaurant chain St John, where it’s sold in its restaurants, over the counter from their London shop and now online, too.
With its simple plain cardboard packaging and label with the trademark pig, it’s got a great nononsense feel.
But the blend is smart; Sauvignon Blanc and roussanne grapes, the latter adding oomph to the citrusy Sauvignon. really zippy, with a slight orange peel flavour. A simple but delicious alfresco white guaranteed to please a crowd. 4/5
Du Grappin Bagnum Rosé
£22 for 1.5 litres, legrappin.com MADE from the Gamay grape, this is from the smarter Beaujolais-Villages vineyards. Put sunglasses on before pouring: it’s so pink, it looks like it could glow in the dark (now there’s an idea!). You also get plenty of juicy cherry fruit aromas and flavours. A properly joyful wine, this would make a great drink for a picnic. 4/5
St John Rose Bag in Box
£31 for 3 litres, stjohnwines.co.uk SoUrCED by the St John wine team from the Herault region in southern France, this is a typical regional blend of Carignan, Cinsault and Syrah grapes.
It’s as pale as a Provence rosé with subtle peach and redcurrant flavours. It’s fantastically fresh, too. Devilishly moreish. 5/5
Pheasant Gully Shiraz/ Cabernet Sauvignon
£13 for 1.5 litres, M&S LIKE its white counterpart, this is another classic Australian blend — this time spicy Shiraz with sturdy Cabernet Sauvignon. With its dark plum and blackberry flavours. it’ll take on robust meat dishes —it’s a bit of a monster without food. 4/5
St John Rouge Bag In Box
£31 for 3 litres, stjohnwines.co.uk LIKE the Pheasant Gully, this is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. But it’s a more unruly beast — in a good way. There’s something rustic about it, an almost herby character with brilliant blackcurrant fruit flavours. And with a kick of spice, it’ll go well with barbecue food. 5/5
Helen’S book, The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club, is out now (£7.99, Pan Macmillan).