The Best Boxed White Wine, According to Our Taste Test

While wine snobs might turn up their noses at the thought of boxed wine, the large-format packaging offers a lot of upside. One of boxed wine’s many boons is its convenience: one package holds up to four times the volume of a standard wine bottle, is significantly lighter compared to glass, and is often sold at a lower price point. 

The lighter packaging is also key to the lower carbon footprint of boxed wine compared to a standard bottle, as these wines are lighter to ship, less fragile (which helps avoid single-use protective packaging), and pack into shipping boxes more conveniently. 

Boxed white wines are primarily made from the two most popular white grape varieties, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and range significantly in quality. Some wines take on a plasticky note from packaging, while others suffer from common pitfalls of trying to make a truly inexpensive wine. We tasted 15 boxed white wines to find the ones actually worth swapping for the bottled stuff. 

How we selected the boxed white wines

We sourced 15 boxed white wines that can be found at most grocery or liquor stores, or are available for purchase online. The wines came in traditional boxes with a one-liter or one and half-liter bladder bag inside with a spout, as well as less conventional packaging such as soft wine pouches or Tetra Pak boxes with a screw cap lid.

We selected the most popular white wines from each brand, which were predominantly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but also included Pinot Grigio and white wine blends. 

How we tested

Seven Food & Wine editors participated in this tasting. A majority of the participating editors have a professional background or education in wine. Editors tasted each wine one after the other, with no knowledge of the brands. 

All 15 wines were chilled in the refrigerator in advance of the tasting. Each wine was decanted into a cup labeled with a number to ensure the wine’s brand remained a mystery. The wines were tasted and presented in clear glasses so that the color of the wine was visible as well. 

We asked our editors to score each wine based on the following criteria: smell (we looked for the presence of a pleasant aroma characteristic of any well-made white wine); the flavor of the wine (noting acrid or artificial on the palate); and the overall balance of the wine (were the acid, body, and alcohol of the wine all in tune with one another?). 

Best overall: Bandit Wines Sauvignon Blanc 

This zesty, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc was a clear winner thanks to its blend of clear fruit flavors and aromas, and balance of bright acidity and ripeness. Notes of peach, melon and pineapple jumped out of the glass, and editors detected a lime zest quality to the acidity, which added a touch of pleasing bitterness. “I could drink a ton of this cold on a July day,” said executive features editor Kat Kinsman. 

Made to be taken on-the-go, Bandit’s lightweight, resealable Tetra Pak boxes are ideal for camping and adventuring. Bandit wines was founded with the goal of packaging great wine into sustainable packaging that both promotes an eco-friendly ethos while also offering an ultra-convenient container. 

At just around $10 for a one-liter box, this wine offers incredible quality and value that certainly rivals any of the bottled stuff. Just one taste left us wanting more: “I’ll take the rest of the box if no one else wants it,” said editorial director Dylan Garret. 

Best Chardonnay: Black Box Chardonnay

Founded in 2003 by U.S. wine giant Constellation Brands, Black Box wine has long been known for delivering high-quality wines in boxes, and this appealing Chardonnay is no exception. Its orchard and tropical fruit notes blended with toasty, vanilla aromas from the influence of oak. 

We found this wine to be classically California Chardonnay in style: rich, fruity, yet balanced. “If you have relatives who like old school California Chard, they’ll like this,” said executive wine editor Ray Isle. Plus, it comes in a convenient 500-milileter Tetra Pak in addition to the three-liter box. 

Most refreshing: Gratsi White

Made with a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc sourced from the South of France, Gratsi’s white wine offered easy-drinking vibes with a balance of citrus fruit and zippy acidity. “It’s got enough fruit without tasting like a Capri Sun,” said Garret. 

The Chardonnay gives the wine body and roundness, while the Sauvignon Blanc adds some zing. Chill this wine way down and bring it to the beach for the ultimate refreshing sip. 

Most unique: Alileo Young Bianco

Alileo’s Young Bianco stood out in the tasting for its golden, straw yellow hue. The brand focuses on grape varieties from Sicily, which are rarely packaged into boxes. Its Young Bianco expression is made from organically grown Grillo, a refreshing and lightly aromatic white Sicilian grape that yields crisp, high-acid wines. 

Alileo uses low-intervention winemaking practices and omits sulfites from its wines, which contributes to the wine’s darker color. The wine balanced lemon peel aromas with ripe apple and pear flavors akin to a well-made cider. 

The full list of contenders, ranked highest to lowest 

1. Bandit Sauvignon Blanc
2. Alileo Young Bianco
3. Black Box Chardonnay 
4. Barefoot on Tap Sauvignon Blanc
5. Gratsi White
6. Bota Box Chardonnay
7. Medley Italian White
8. Ami Ami Blanc
9. Bianca Giovasse Vino Bianco
10. Really Good Boxed Wine Pinot Gris
11. Juliet Sauvignon Blanc
12. Lena Chardonnay
13. Nomadic Light
14. Franzia Sauvignon Blanc
15. Quadrum White Wine of Spain