Target Boxed Wine: The Red Stuff

There are many things I loved about Target’s boxed wine before I ever tasted them: a) It’s wine. b) It’s sold at Target. Those are two big pluses already. Beyond that, I like the concept of boxed wine.

My husband and I are wine snobs, actually. Most everything on our wine rack is around $50, and although we have been known to crack open a bottle of that with pizza and wings, most nights, we just want a glass or two of a decent cheap wine. Boxed wine stays fresher longer, is a good value, and is great for cooking. In fact, the small boxes that come in four packs of single servings are the perfect amount for one recipe of homemade tomato sauce.

But how does it taste?

Today, we look at, taste, and smell the red wines. There is a 2004 California Merlot, a 2004 California Cabernet/Shiraz, and a 2005 South Australian Shiraz. The huz poured while I was out of the room and lined up the glasses. Notice that he poured full glasses, not just tastes of each wine. He’s my kind of pourer. After the tasting and evaluation, I guessed which wine was which, and hooray for me! I got them all right.

So the first thing is… They were predictable. My rule of thumb in buying cheap red wine is to go for a blend. That’s a good rule in this case.

The Cabernet/Shiraz was by far the lesser of all evils. The color was nice; full in the center of your glass and fading towards the edges. There was no nose, which compared to the others was a blessing.

Our assessment: It’s a little chalky, but it doesn’t suck.

The Shiraz had the second best color. The nose was reminiscent of stale socks, so don’t breathe in as you drink. A hint of radishes might come through as long as you don’t swish and add air to your swallow.

Finally, the Merlot made a great tomato sauce, but that is about it. It was the darkest of the wines, had a nose of old wet wood, tasted like strong cheese, and had a sharp medicinal aftertaste. In other words, drink this last, preferably after all the other boxes are gone and your lips are numb.

Cheap wine is a tough subject. There are those that are good and regretfully, these are not really them. They are, however, acceptable if you already know a little something about drinking wine. If you are trying to learn how to like wine, though, skip this and start with the bottles.

Join me next time as we sample the white boxed wine from Target. And possibly some break and bake cookies to go with it.