Wine in a box: review, quality reviews

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Wine in a cardboard box with a characteristic inscription on the label is the main guest, comrade and brother of almost any gathering for a Russian person of absolutely any age after coming of age. Such a product is affordable, easy to use because it does not need a corkscrew, and relatively strong. At the same time, more high-status drinks also fall under the “shmurdyak” category, since the “wine in a box” position itself is not a quality criterion. The article will tell you how to separate one from the other and not accidentally buy a surrogate, which can lead to serious he alth consequences.

Specific terminology

So, what is a shmurdyak and what does it represent? First of all, it is important to note that such a term is slang and is not generally accepted. The most accurate designation of the word is a surrogate, that is, alcohol that was spilled, and, possibly, prepared in a private household for the purpose of subsequent resale. The surrogate is very cheap at cost, since it often consists of industrial waste or low-quality raw materials as such. Definitely drink itnot worth it. However, you still need to know what a shmurdyak is, as well as what its key features are.

Key differences

You can understand that a surrogate is in front of the buyer before the box is opened. There are many criteria, someone advises paying attention to the quality of packaging, others insist on the importance of excise duty. You should not be shy and ask the seller, if we are talking about a specialized distributor point, for documents confirming the authenticity of the product. It is worth starting with this. Next, there is a check of the integrity of the box, the presence of an excise tax and many other criteria. In addition, shmurdyak may just be a low-quality alcoholic drink that has nothing to do with real wine.

In particular, you should pay attention to the following key features of a particular package:

• presence of a clear address and name of the manufacturer;
• excise;
• clear product composition;
• no violations in the tightness of the package;
• availability of additional information on the Internet.

If the buyer doubts the authenticity of a particular product, it is better to play it safe and buy wine in a bottle.

Benefits and unfounded myths

It is extremely important to understand that not all wines in the box are surrogates or simply substandard products. This is the first and most important groundless myth that has been circulating among the people for a very long time. Of course, expensive and high-status wine shops in Moscow are hardlythey distribute such products, but you can find, in principle, a good table drink in a box in a supermarket. It does not lose in quality to its "brother" in glass, while being cheaper and much more convenient. As for the rest of the myths for this category of goods, they can be identified in the following list:

• Packaging affects the taste palette. This myth is highly ambiguous. Yes, wine in a box does not breathe and aging for a long period in such a container entails oxidation and deterioration of taste. But this is important only when it comes to an expensive, collectible drink. It is unlikely that the taste of "Wine 777" can spoil the box.
• This drink is cheaper because its recipe does not contain a blend of grape varieties. Also a baseless accusation. If a particular wine in a box is made under license from a well-known manufacturer, then it is 100% from grapes, not concentrated raw materials, reputation is more expensive.
• Once the package is opened, the wine will go bad. Not quite right. The shelf life of the drink will decrease, but it is unlikely to deteriorate. In any case, this will happen at the same rate as alcohol in a bottle that has been leaked.

At the same time, wine in a box has a number of undeniable advantages, including durability, ease of transportation, easy and quick access. If we are talking about the so-called inner bag of several layers of foil, we can also talk about additional protection against sabotage. All this is available at a price lower than bottled counterparts, sothe fear of the products in the package is at least unfounded.

Gift-wrapped wine

Such a wine in a box is often a source of human pride and, according to the article, is an extremely expensive, collectible drink. Do not confuse it with packaged alcohol. However, this is difficult to do, given the cost of both categories of goods. Wine shops in Moscow, as well as in other cities of Russia, can speculate on a person's fear of buying a packaged drink. Thus, a cheap but presentable drink in a bottle gets into the consumer's basket.

It is noteworthy that in other countries of the world there is absolutely no such thing, since buying wine in a box is not shameful and even profitable. So, for example, in Italy, the most massive lines of alcohol are sold for the most part in boxes, not bottles. Glass containers serve just as a gift, not a daily product, which is logical and reasonable.

Is it always so cheap?

For example, it is worth considering Merlot Codici Primitivo, a pretty good wine, the cost of which for 3 liters averages from 2.3 to 2.5 thousand rubles. The price tag for a bottle of 0.75 liters is already from 680 to 800 rubles and more. When moving to more affordable products, the difference becomes even more evident. However, it is worth remembering that there is always a risk of buying the mentioned surrogate. So, for example, a package of "Wine 777" or "Port" in a package resembling juice is unlikely to cross the threshold of $ 1 according toprice. But to purchase such a drink, guided by considerations of economy, is still not worth it. It is always worth remembering that the wine in the box is not the cheapest, this statement is outdated.

Should I buy or not?

If the buyer expects to get just good alcohol at a bargain price and in convenient packaging - yes, it really is worth it. Wine in a box has long ceased to be an exclusively low-quality product, turning into just a convenient drink format, which, moreover, does not harm the environment as much as glass. In addition to savings, the client can count on ease of transportation, durability and comfort, which almost always outweighs an hour of weight in favor of such containers. On the other hand, there is the same shmurdyak, from which you need to stay as far away as possible.