I've often thought it a great pity that bag-in-a-box containers seemed to be reserved for rather uninteresting wines.
I've also noticed that some of the brands of boxed wine vary widely in quality from one batch to the next.
This is sad, because the "happy box" is the perfect wine storage method for somebody who likes an occasional glass without having to go to the trouble of opening a bottle and then trying to seal it properly until the next time.
On my way up to the Karoo recently I stopped at Du Toitskloof Winery, near Worcester, to stock up and was delighted to find that several wines in their regular range were now available in three-litre boxes.
Du Toitskloof has earned a reputation (and several awards) for good value, and the boxed wines are better value than ever.
A three-litre box contains the equivalent of four 750ml bottles and at R55 that works out at R13,75 a bottle. That's pretty hard to beat.
I bought a box of their Pinotage, Merlot and Ruby Cabernet blend, which is an old favourite quaffer of mine. It's fresh and juicy and perfect for casual drinking.
I'll be picking up a couple more boxes on my return journey. Their boxed Chenin Blanc could be a bargain for white-wine lovers too.
- Some wines win trophies and then sink back into relative obscurity. Others keep on and on winning and you know they're natural champions.
One such champion is Kanonkop's legendary Paul Sauer red blend which recently became the first cellar in the world to win the prestigious Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Trophy at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) in London for the third time in the history of the IWSC.
The annual trophy is awarded to the Best Blended Red Wine on the show, and this year Kanonkop's winning wine was the Paul Sauer 2003. Kanonkop won the same trophy in 1994 with the Paul Sauer 1991, and again in 1999 with the Paul Sauer 1995.
Kanonkop's obviously delighted co-owner, Johann Krige, describes the trophy as the "World Cup for a red wine producer".
He added that the third-time wine vindicated his belief that "South Africa is one of the world's top wine producers in terms of quality."
Krige said South Africa's reputation as a quality producer was underscored by the fact that South Africa won six trophies at the competition, with 590 entries, while Australia, which entered more than 1 000 wines, came away with only three trophies.
Kanonkop's Paul Sauer is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and is still made using traditional open tanks and punched down manually before being matured for two years in new French oak barrels.
"The wheel doesn't need reinventing," says Kanonkop winemaker Abrie Beeslaar.
- Another South African winner at the IWSC was Van Ryn's 12-year Distiller's Reserve brandy, which was awarded the Worldwide Best Brandy title. Van Ryn's 10-year-old Vintage brandy won a gold medal in the same competition.
(The equivalent trophy for Cognac brandy, which is judged separately, was won by Frapin Multimilesime Cognac Grande Champagne.)