Our favorite boxed and canned wines

Leave your bottles in the wine cellar. Rozette Rago YOUR GUIDE Connor Grossman The beauty of boxed and canned wine is its convenience. Forget the fuss of storing a bottle or resealing a half-finished one. Leave them all in the cellar. The future is now, and may we all enjoy it with a can of red, white, or rosé. The pushback against “new” ways to enjoy wine is real, but the arguments seem to be a matter of aesthetics. Cardboard box over glass bottle? A $5 price tag instead of $50? Slurping wine out of—gulp—a plastic bag? Wine doesn’t have to look good to taste good—though many of the can and box designs have a made-for-Instagram feel to them. And as long as you’re not looking for the depth of flavor you’d find in a 50-year-old bottle, the taste of these wines will suit most drinkers. As Wirecutter staffers bounce around beaches, parks, and BBQs enjoying what’s left of summer, these are the favorite boxed and canned wines they’re bringing with them. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. [Learn More ›]( [For fans of natural or organic wine]( Jenny & François Selections [From the Tank by Jenny & François Selections]( [Jenny & François Selections]( is a really great importer specializing in natural wines. I often look for this name on the back of bottles because I prefer natural or organic wine, so I was tickled when my local shop started selling boxed wine from the importer. I’ve tried the white and pink, and I like them both. They’re made with organically or sustainably sourced grapes—unusual for boxed wine—and both are on the dryer side. Each wine is great for camping, beach days, picnics, or an evening sip out of the fridge. They are both totally respectable table wines to serve with simple, honest food. I haven’t tried the red, but I imagine it’s probably good too. — Christine Cyr Clisset, deputy editor [A high-quality beach sip]( Paper Planes [Paper Planes Flight School Rosé of Pinot Noir]( One factor separates the drinkable wines from the excellent in my price range (as close to $20 a bottle, or under, as possible): Can it be traced to a specific farm and varietal? Or is it an anonymous blend of whatever’s left in the tanks? This [rosé of pinot noir]( is the former, and it’s great! As it should be for a $30 bottle (split into four cans). Flight School is perfect with a side of soda and some salted almonds, as a lightweight addition to the beach cooler. I wish more makers would put high-quality wine into cans like this—and that someone would give me a trunkload of this stuff ’cause I can’t pay $30 every time! — Harry Sawyers, senior editor [Warm, spicy, and boozy]( Bandit [Bandit Cabernet Sauvignon]( Three words: hot wine winter. In the fall and winter, my evening beverage of choice is a [spicy-sweet mulled wine]( made with apple cider, oranges, and a yummy red. You don’t need anything fancy for this recipe. But I like to upgrade a bit from the cheapest options at the grocery store while still getting a good deal on a full liter—hot wine is best shared with friends. So I’ve been reliant on the liter-size cartons of [Bandit’s cab sauv]( for years. I bought it once and liked it so much that I haven’t been interested in trying anything else. This wine is flavorful enough to not disappear into the juice, yet neutral enough to let the spices pack their punch. — Annam Swanson, managing editor [A velvety blend of reds]( House Wine [House Wine Red Blend Box]( I first picked up [a box of this wine]( on my way to a dinner party in the distant pre-pandemic era, when we could find ourselves running late to gatherings large enough to warrant consuming a cardboard tub of wine. Initially, the 20-something-dollar price point for 3 liters of wine had me feeling skeptical. But I was pleasantly surprised to find it’s a smooth, velvety, adult-y, upgrade from the slap-the-bag varietals of my youth. Over the course of 2020, opportunities to gather and share were few and far between, but I continued to keep a box on hand for weeknight dinners and Zoom happy hours. The red blend, a cabernet and merlot mix, pairs well with steak, pasta, a charcuterie board, or as a solo accompaniment to a Bachelorette marathon. It keeps well in the fridge for longer than the average bottle of red, if you’re a one-to-two-glasses-a-night wine drinker like I am. Importantly, the Red Blend is just as good chilled on a hot summer evening as it is at room temperature. — Lauren L’Amie, SEO content strategist [Summer in a b]( Jacques Florent [Jacques Florent Rosé]( This is one of my favorite [boxed pinks](. It’s crisp, light, and easy to sip. It comes in a great cylinder packaging with a painting by Brooklyn artist Zach Fleming, which makes it fun and interesting enough to set out at a party without feeling embarrassed that you’ve gone too lowbrow with a box of wine. Enjoy this with seafood, beach snacks, or anything summery. — Christine Cyr Clisset, deputy editor Made for mulling Anna Shults Held Trader Joe’s Block Red Cabernet Sauvignon This is my favorite cold-weather beverage. It’s decent enough to drink as a table wine with braises or stews—just put it in a decanter—but I primarily use it to mull wine. I first started mulling wine a few years ago for parties, but over the past year the boxed format has been particularly helpful since I can use exactly what I need. Sometimes that’s only a mugful or two, rather than a whole bottle. This cabernet sauvignon has enough acidity and peppery-ness to stand up to the fruit and warmth of the cinnamon and cloves. And it’s cheap enough that I don’t feel bad modifying it or using it in excess. — Anna Shults Held, editor [An unfussy delight]( Leilani Han [Margerum Riviera Rosé]( Margerum is a local winery in Santa Barbara, California, and I’ve had the opportunity to sample its many excellent wines on multiple occasions. I usually stick with red, but I really like [Margerum’s rosé](. It has the perfect balance of the dryness I prefer from rosés without being overpowering. I don’t discriminate against the vessel in which my wine is served. The convenience factor of canned wine is high. This is especially true in a town where picnicking with craft beers and local wines at parks and beaches is synonymous with the area’s laid-back lifestyle. I am no oenophile, so I can’t tell you what this one pairs well with or how it compares to competitors. All I know is that this rosé is one of Margerum’s best-sellers for a reason, and it’s one of my favorites. — Leilani Han, director of business development and partnerships [Light, dry, and fruity]( Las Jaras Wines [Las Jaras Waves Red Wine]( I’m part of Las Jaras’s wine club, and I added a few cans of this to my last shipment to try it out. I was skeptical because I’d never had canned wine before, but popping one of these open straight from the fridge was so refreshing and fun. It tastes (to me, at least) like a spiked La Croix. [Waves Red]( is a really light and dry wine with a subtle fruitiness to it. I’ve since gifted cans of this one and the white-wine version to friends. And I’d also bring these to parties as a good option for other non-beer-drinkers like me. This wine is the perfect, low-effort way to unwind after a long, hot summer day. — Rozette Rago, photo editor [For poolside lounging]( House Wine [House Wine Rosé Bubbles]( I didn’t know canned wine existed until my sister introduced me to it. It was a little jarring to find out that (in some cases) a single can wields the alcohol content of half a bottle of wine—be careful, they’re easy to finish! I really enjoy [this rosé]( in the summer at a backyard BBQ, at the beach, or while floating in a pool. Drinking wine out of a can makes it easier to be poolside, and this wine specifically has a refreshing coolness to it. This rosé pairs best with backyard BBQ basics—hotdogs and burgers—and it’s a great way to beat the heat. — Jasmine Khoury, associate software engineer [Cheese's best friend]( Schplink [Schplink Gruner Veltliner]( My local wine shop carries this, and it’s great—crisp, dry, and refreshing. Perfect for a picnic, beach day, or camping. It’s a cut above most boxed wine, and it comes in great packaging. [This wine]( pairs well with cheese, grilled chicken, or really anything you’d drink a crisp white with. — Christine Cyr Clisset, deputy editor [View email in browser]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for Wirecutter’s Newsletter. Getting too many emails from us? [Unsubscribe here](. 
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