How do you save money and have a good supply of wine on hand? Buy the boxed wines. Now I know there are all kinds of wine snobs out there who would rather drink water than a boxed wine, but I am here to tell you that they are wonderful!
When one bottle costs $10-$15, why not save a lot of money and buy the boxed wine? You can get a good boxed wine for $15-$18. You get the equivalent of 4 to 4 1/2 bottles of wine in one box. The taste has the same quality as the bottled wines, and it stays fresher for a longer period of time.
Now I'm not saying it's going to be the same quality as a very expensive french wine, but if you would normally get say a bottle of white merlot , why not get the box and save a lot of money. Plus, you'll always have it on hand for unexpected company.
They are also great to have for large parties like a graduation party or birthday party. There is also the freshness factor involved. If you open a bottle of wine and only have a glass or two then the rest will sour rather quickly. The boxes stay fresh much much longer.
I guess if you are having a fancy party or a wine tasting this is definitely not going to work for you. Also, the box is not something you would take to a party as a gift for the hosts. You wouldn't be able to put the box in a nice wine sack or wrap it with nice bow either, so I guess in these cases the bottled wine would be the better way to go.
I would just like everyone who for whatever reason is against the boxed wines to just give them a chance. I would bet you will become a fan right off the bat. There are so many different varieties and name brands that you should have no problem finding something to your liking.
Maybe you could get a few friends together to have a boxed wine wine tasting party. This way nobody will feel "snobbish" and after a few glasses you'll never be able to tell the difference anyway. Maybe it would be a good idea to get a few varieties of boxed wine as well as a few bottles of the same kinds and have a blind taste test.
It would be very interesting to see the results of such an undertaking. In fact, I think that I may just put a wine tasting like that together myself. Perhaps I might change my mind and believe the bottled wines are better. I have friends who would never drink boxed and those who will drink either so it would be a very interesting experiment indeed!
Whatever your choice please remember to drink responsibly and don't drink and drive!