Why Boxed Wine Stays Fresh So Much Longer Than Bottled

We know you've asked yourself this. It's a burning question for any boxed wine drinker: How come boxed wine stays fresh so much longer than bottled?

Well, the answer is simple. Oxygen. Or lack thereof.

The reason your bottled wine goes bad so quickly - in a day or two if it's red, maybe a couple of days longer if it's white - is because of oxidation.

We know when we open a bottle and leave it out it starts to taste vinegary or loose its subtleties and complexities - the fruitiness or earthiness, the fullness or jamminess.

But what's actually happening during oxidation? The chemical composition of your wine is changing. The bacteria that are in the wine (this is a normal thing) start turning the ethanol (the alcohol made from yeast consuming grape sugars during the winemaking process) into acetic acid.

The acetic acid is what produces that vinegar taste. Which is great on your salad, not so great in your wine.

Boxed wine stays fresh so much longer than bottled because the tap allows in very little oxygen when your pour, and seals immediately after you fill your glass. A bottle is exposed to oxygen for several seconds. You pour your own, and then maybe it sits open for several minutes as you pour for others and then maybe you leave it open on the table while you eat. It might not seem like much, but those bacteria are bored and they need something to do, so that open bottle is like throwing a party for them.

With boxed wine, you get less exposure to the air, and it allows the wine inside to stay fresh exponentially longer. And just like bottled wine, boxed wine likes to stay on the cool side, which will help it last even longer.

Fun fact: 97% of all the wine made in the world is not meant to be aged, it's meant to be drunk pretty soon after it leaves the winery. Only 3% of wines are crafted with the purpose of being aged and only those wines need to be bottled.

This makes boxed wine better for the planet. Less waste, more wine per package and 84% less carbon footprint.

So tap in and take as long as you want (okay, you've got six weeks) to drink your BOXT.