Remember back in the day when drinking wine out of a box was the worst thing you could do?
Well, as they say, the times they are a-changing because we are now seeing the resurgence of boxed wine. But not just any boxed wine. No. This is premium wine, from the best wine farms in the country.
South African wine lovers are on-trend and becoming aware of the benefits of boxed wine. The wine-in-a-box revival took off in 2019 and has been one of the most talked-about trends lately as local (and global) consumers embrace the environmental appeal and taste credentials that have made the format so successful.
The growth of this trend has been driven by ease of use, the ability to keep wine longer once it has been opened, and the perfect remedy to overspending.
In recent reports, boxed wine in SA outsold bottles for the first time last year.
Data from the industry body SA Wine Industry Information and Systems (Sawis) showed that total sales of still wine came to only 285 million litres last year – compared to 356 million litres in 2019. Sparkling wine sales were also down 20%, to below 8 million litres. But while sales of wine in glass bottles dropped 24% to 121.5 million litres sold, boxed wine sales only fell 10% to 126.3 million.
Sawis confirmed that this is the first time that boxed wine outsold bottled in SA. Manager of information services at Sawis, Charles Whitehead, said their thinking is that it has to do with Covid-19 lockdown and bans; consumers buying bag-in-box and not bottles.
To ensure customers get the best quality, value (and volume), Zonnebloem & Fleur du Cap has just released a range of four premium 2-litre boxed wines, which showcase exclusive collaborations with some leading South African wine brands.
Below are the wines on offer:
Fleur du Cap Rosé – one of the most versatile and food-friendly wines that can be enjoyed all year round, this blend of chardonnay and pinot noir rosé reveals inviting notes of strawberry and florals. Crisp with fresh acidity, juicy blackberry fruit with winter melon linger in the mouth.
Fleur du Cap sauvignon blanc – brilliant clear colour with green tinges, the nose is fresh with an abundance of tropical aromas and floral and herbaceous undertones. This is an elegantly balanced wine with crisp, concentrated flavours of passion fruit, lime and melon.
Zonnebloem cabernet sauvignon – a generous red wine with true varietal expression. Intense dark red in colour with alluring aromas of blackcurrants, dark berries, raspberries, and oak spice. The wine is full-bodied and smoky with ripe plum and raspberry fruit flavours and hints of cloves and oak spice.
Zonnebloem merlot – juicy and fruit-forward, the wine is a lovely ruby red with a bouquet of red fruit, mulberry, and hints of cigar box and oak spice. Elegant and medium-to-full-bodied, the delicate red fruit integrates brilliantly with the oak flavours to deliver a well-balanced, lingering finish.
The premium bag-in-box wines will be available nationwide from leading wine outlets.
Other recommended South African boxed wines that you can try include the Woolworths range, Robertson Winery sauvignon blanc, Drostdy-Hof merlot 2010, or sauvignon blanc 2010, Du Toitskloof pinotage or merlot or ruby cabernet.