Boxxle gives wine in a bag real class
Dispensers to make boxed wine look stylish in your kitchen and washable markers for writing names on glasses are just two of the gadgets or ideas I have seen in the past couple of months worth talking about.
THE BOX MAKEOVER
I am not a wine snob when it comes to buying boxed wine. I would consider myself the opposite. Boxed wine stays fresh longer than the traditional glass bottle and has the bonus of being environmentally friendly. I’m not alone in the support of the box. A multitude of quality producers are working to change the image of boxed wine. Yet even with my confidence and support it’s challenging to not judge the humble cardboard box and its ability to compete with the aura of the bottle.
I came across a stainless-steel wine dispenser for the 3-liter bag in the box, The Boxxle. Buy your brand, open the box and pull out the bladder, place inside the dispenser and, voila, you have a chic and functional product without the cardboard. Boxxle successfully tackles a few other issues as well. Boxxle’s spigot is positioned so the glass sets on the counter, rather than having to bring the box to the edge of the countertop and hold the glass in one hand and work the spigot with the other. Boxxle’s automatic compression also eliminates the need to squeeze the last two or three glasses from the pouch. For more information, visit Boxxle.com
SKIP THE JEWELRY
Not to say they aren’t useful, but the wine charm – those colorful rings that slip on the stems of glasses – has never seemed to work in helping my guests keep up with their wine glass. A person will put down the glass … talk … move to another location and before you know it several people are asking who has the color blue, red or yellow or a lady bug, butterfly or the Eiffel tower. For me, wine glass markers – special pens that write directly on the glass – are a great solution.The marks stay on for the affair, wash away with a sponge or in the dishwater. A few tips from my blunders are to wait about 30 seconds after writing before the guest uses the glass, and if you are serving a chilled wine, write close to the rim and above the pour line. For more information, visit WineGlassWriter.com.
PUT A CAP ON IT
Last but not least is the CapaBunga reusable silicone cap. The cap reseals a bottle of wine after you remove the cork and resembles a bung used to seal barrels during winemaking. After you remove the cork you can reseal the bottle and get a liquid-tight bottle. For those of us who tend to store opened bottles on their sides in the refrigerator to later find the wine has leaked and dripped onto everything below it, this product makes sense. Invented by two winery owners in northern California, the caps show off the designer’s artistic passion with the range of slogans available, for example “in case of in-laws remove cap,” “I’ve earned it,” “me time,” and “retox” as well a solid colors. For more information, visit Capabunga.com.
THE VALUES
- Wine Glass Writer (about $10 retail for a three-pack)
- CapaBunga Reusable Silicone Cap, (about $8 for a two pack or $13 for a four-pack)
THE SPLURGE
- The Boxxle, Box Wine Dispenser (about $100 retail)