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Posted: 2024-06-06T12:00:22Z | Updated: 2024-06-06T12:00:22Z One Of The Biggest Myths About Wine Has Been Busted And We're Shook | HuffPost Life

One Of The Biggest Myths About Wine Has Been Busted And We're Shook

HuffPost spoke to a master sommelier about this much-maligned dorm room staple. Turns out, you may have fallen for an elitist myth.
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When we were in college or fresh out and partying in someones dingy starter apartment the beverage table at most get-togethers always beheld a box or two of wine. Lukewarm and hardly inviting, that cheap rose or pinot grigio  would hit the spot and got us drunk, but it wasnt exactly sophisticated. Once we made enough money to graduate to real wine, we spent an extra $7 and upgraded to the good stuff in bottles and never looked back.

But is boxed wine inherently inferior to bottled wine? Is there any real difference in quality or taste? Or did we just fall for an elitist myth? 

Good wine can be found in any package anywhere. It just comes down to somebody who wants to put good wine in there, Doug Frost, master sommelier and co-founder of Echoland Winery told us, Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, hosts of HuffPosts Am I Doing It Wrong? podcast.

Listen to the full podcast here to learn lots of wine secrets and hacks:

Many times the boxed wines that we have in the U .S. are pretty good wines, Frost revealed. But you can go to places like Australia where a lot of their boxed wines are super serious. I mean, theyre really, really good wines. Canned wine is the same way.

Mind blown. 

Canned wine always felt a little ridiculous to us   as if beer needed a bougie compatriot but Frost, who is on a mission to demolish the pretension that can scare people off from learning more about wine, gave it to us straight: Good wine simply means that it was made from high quality ingredients, and it can come in whichever package feels right to the winemaker.

The important thing to consider, however, is how long you want the wine to stay fresh. 

The only difference really between a bottle and a can and a bottle and a box is those wines dont live as long, Frost said. They start to fade when theyre in a can [or a box]. So you dont want to hang on to it for a year or two. You want to drink it in the next three to six months. 

Bottles, he told us, have been used by winemakers for centuries because they store wine in a way that keeps it stable and delicious for decades. 

However, boxed wine does have a leg up on bottled wine once youve started drinking it. A bottle of wine, if stored correctly, will typically start to lose its freshness a week after its been opened, whereas boxed wine thats been opened can stay good in its package for up to a month or even six weeks. 

Boxed wine can also be easier to transport and share (no need for a special tool to open it!), so its an excellent option for picnics and other on-the-go events. Best of all, because boxed wines packaging is cheaper to produce, its price tag is lower, but the quality can be just as good as the stuff that comes in a bottle. 

Busting this myth about boxed wine feels like weve been given a new lease on imbibing, and we hope youll consider picking up some for your next party. However, we recommend you dont fully flashback to college by serving it in red solo cups. During our chat, Frost explained why drinking wine out of stemware really does offer the optimal tasting experience, why letting wine breathe really can be a game changer, and demystified so much more about the delicious beverage. 

Listen to the full episode above or wherever you get your podcasts .

Make sure to subscribe to Am I Doing It Wrong? so you dont miss a single episode, including our investigations of the ins and outs of tipping , how to apologize or vanquish your credit card debt , how to find love online or overcome anxiety , tips for online shopping , taking care of your teeth and pooping like a pro , secrets to booking and staying in a hotel , how to deal with an angry person , cooking tips from celebrity chef Jet Tila , shocking laundry secrets , the tips and tricks for cleaner dishes , getting your best workout , and more.

Need some help with something youve been doing wrong? Email us at AmIDoingItWrong@HuffPost.com, and we might investigate the topic in an upcoming episode. 

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