Austin Hope in his storage room.

Westside Red, The Troublemaker

Cost: $22

What: Westside Red, The Troublemaker, Paso Robles, California

The Troublemaker is a new blended wine just introduced by the fun people at Hope Family Wines. It’s a classic Rhone-style blend of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache that offers a rich, full taste.

It is a beautiful deep red color in the glass. Aromas of blackberry and black cherry lead to a wonderful, complex taste. You can pick up black fruit flavors with some spiciness and hints of cranberry. The finish is long and smooth.

The wine is called The Troublemaker because besides blending three grapes it blends three vintages. It doesn’t follow the usual style. Most California wines bottle a single vintage and put that year on the label. Mixing vintages gives the winemaker more latitude in creating the taste and style he wants.

When I visited the winery recently there were hints that maybe the wine was named after the head of the winery and the winemaker, Austin Hope. He is a bit of a rogue and renegade, but he relishes that role and plays it well. He likes to shake things up and encourages his staff to try new things. I can’t wait for his $50 box wine.

Austin Hope checks the grapes.

The wine has juice from 2007 and 2008 along with fresh juice from 2009. The 2007 portion was aged for 20 months, the 2008 for 12 months and the 2009 for four months, all in French oak barrels, 65 percent of them new.

The mix is 53 percent Syrah, 37 percent Mourvedre and 10 percent Grenache. The grapes all come from the family vineyard on the west side of Paso Robles. Instead of a vintage date the label says Blend 1.

It is a powerful, complex wine that delivers much more than you would expect at this price. Blending the vintages allows the winemaker to bring just the right elements together. It tastes like it will age well for several years.

Winery: When the Hope family moved to Paso Robles in 1978 to grow grapes, they made farming quality fruit a top priority. They became one of a handful of pioneering families who helped shape the region that has gained widespread recognition for quality.

At first their fruit was bought mainly by wineries outside the region. Then in the early 1990’s, the family began producing estate wines under the Hope Family Farms label. They focused their farming efforts to better suit the Paso Robles terroir and eliminated their white grape plantings entirely. They decided that Paso Robles was better suited to produce bold red wines that can compete on an international level.

They also produce a blockbuster white Rhone blend of Viognier and Marsanne, with grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County.

Austin Hope in his new tasting room.

Their other high quality labels are Liberty School, Austin Hope, Treana and Candor. The Westside Red brand brings back a label the winery stopped used several years ago, but with an all-new blend.

The winery has a healthy sense of humor, and you can experience it by going to this fun YouTube video about The Troublemaker:

The troublemaker

Austin Hope looks out over the rolling hills of Paso Robles.

Goes with: Grilled meat, hamburgers, pasta in a tomato sauce, and all kinds of hard cheese. I had it with steak at Artisan, a great Paso Robles restaurant, and the wine was a perfect match.

WOW members show their sense of humor.

What: WOW (Women Only Wine) discovered several good wines at an Italian wine tasting Wednesday night.

They laughed and joked their way through seven different wines, six of which were from Italy and one of which was made in California using an Italian grape.

The food followed an Italian theme as well, highlighted by a wonderful seafood lasagna. The group meets monthly, moving the tastings among members’ homes.

Here are the wines tasted:
Di Paolo Prosecco Colli Trevigiana. This was a beautiful example of the classic Italian sparkling wine, made entirely of Prosecco grapes from the hills of Treviso. It was well-rounded, with good citrus flavors. The wine was cold fermented in stainless steel to preserve the freshness of the grapes. This was a delightful way to start the evening.

Villa Pozzi Pinot Grigio. One of the most popular grapes in the world, Pinot Grigio also is known as Pinot Gris or Rulander. It can be produced in a range of styles from slightly sweet to dry. This Pinot Grigio was light straw in color with some aromas of flowers and honeysuckle. It had a soft fruit flavor, but with enough acid to make it interesting.

Woodbridge Pinot Grigio. I brought this from my cellar to contrast with the Italian Pinot Grigio. The Woodbridge was a little more popular with the group, showing lime and lemon flavors with a little more structure to it. And at $8 a bottle it’s a bargain.

Collegiata Multepulciano. This is a wine meant to be drunk young. It’s light and fruity with lots of ripe fruit flavor. Full of soft tannins, it is not meant to be aged, but to be drunk on release. It’s a great food wine, perfect for pizza or pasta.

Renwood Amador Barbera. Produced by the folks who make many outstanding Zinfandels, the Renwood Barbara is a warm, full wine. It had a pleasant, smooth taste, with a little bit of tannins. There was a slight tartness in the fresh fruit taste, and high acidity gives it good aging potential. It spent about 18 months in oak barrels.

Monte Antico Tuscana Red. This was an outstanding wine, probably my favorite of the tasting. In 2009 it ranks number 61 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines. At $12.99 a bottle it’s a steal. The complex flavors of berry, cherry and plum offer layers of changing flavor. The wine is 85% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is another wine that would be great with pizza and pasta.

Bolla Valpolicella, 2005. This wine came from my cellar, and I thought it was a dud. Some of the women thought it hadn’t quite passed it’s peak, but I wasn’t happy with it. It did open a little after a few minutes, but it never reached the rich, full flavor I expect from a Valpolicella. When young the Bolla Valpolicella is hard to beat.

Dishing up seafood lasagna.

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I have just returned from a trip to Paso Robles to visit Hope Family, which produces Liberty School, Candor, Treana, Austin Hope and Westside Red wines. Liberty School is their lower end offering in price, but not in quality. I loved their wines when I tasted them at the winery and in the vineyards, so I wanted to see if the wine really is as good as I thought, or if the surroundings might have changed my perception.

There is no doubt the wine is as good as I thought it was. When I opened the bottle I could smell the floral, spicy notes spilling out of the bottle. I poured it and it was an inky, dark red color. A few sips confirmed that this was the same wine I enjoyed so much in California. The flavors are complex, and I picked up some plum, strawberry and spice, maybe black pepper. Every sip seemed to unveil another beautiful taste.

This is a wine for comfort food. I had it with vegetable beef soup that my grandmother and my mother used to make. It’s a hearty soup, but I like it all year long, even during our hot summers. As I sipped the wine and slurped the soup, all the cares of the day seemed to slip away.

The wine is 96% Syrah with 4% Viognier added for fragrance. It spends about 14 months in barrels, mostly French oak, with about 15-20% new wood. The wine is kept separate in original harvest lots until the final blend comes together and is bottled.

From: Paso Robles, California

Winery: Liberty School is part of the Hope Family portfolio. The Hopes have been growing grapes in Paso Robles since 1978. For years they sold the grapes to the famous Caymus winery in Napa Valley. Liberty School was Caymus’ second label.

Austin Hope, who began working in his father’s fields when he was eight years old, went to work for Chuck Wagner of Caymus in Napa while he was in college. After graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a degree in fruit science, Austin replanted Hope Family Vineyard in Templeton Gap with Rhone varieties.

In 1995 the Hope family began producing Liberty School in Paso Robles, as Wagner devoted more time to his popular Caymus wines. He continued to advise Austin Hope.

After that Hope Family started the Treana Winery in 1996. In 2000 Austin Hope started the Austin Hope Winery to focus on high-end, hand-crafted wines. Candor Wines, featuring multi-vintage Zinfandal and Merlot, came in 2008. The latest launch is Westside Red Troublemaker, released this August.

Austin Hope believes in the anti-snob approach to drinking wine, which is another reason I like him and his wines. He often says he wants to make the best wine you can drink in fine crystal or red plastic cups.

The winery practices sustainable farming to preserve the land. They also believe in having fun. One example is the iPhone app, Wine DJ, which allows you to find the kind of music that fits your mood and the wine you are drinking. Another example is a great YouTube video they made to mark the start of Westside Red. I’ve watched it several times, and I can’t stop laughing. Click on “Westside Red” below to see the video.
Westside Red

Cost: $14-16. I discovered another reason to stock up on this wine when I bought some at the Vineyard. There is a rebate program that runs to the end of the year. You get $2 back on a single bottle, $20 back on six bottles or $48 back on 12 bottles. What’s better than drinking great wine? Paying less money for that wine.
Year: 2008
Goes with: Grilled meat, pasta with tomato sauce, strong cheese. I had it with homemade vegetable beef noodle soup, which I thought was a terrific match.

Josephine and Johnny Lane chat with hostess Maribeth Burns

What: Wine often is used to celebrate special events. This weekend 24 people gathered at the home of Scott and Maribeth Burns to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Augusta Preparatory Day School. It was one of seven community dinners for the Prep community that kicked off the 50th anniversary celebration. Each dinner had a different theme, and this one was wine, of course.

The dinners were free and were a way for people in the Prep community to celebrate and to meet parents, teachers and staff they might not have known.

The group tasted and discussed 10 different wines that were paired with outstanding food. We started off with Casal Garcia Vinho Verde that was light and refreshing, a perfect summer wine. It was a great gathering wine that people sipped as all the guests arrived. We had a nice sampling of cheese to snack on with the Vinho Verde.

When Scott and Maribeth moved us to our tables, we had two white wines: Zaca Mesa Viognier and Treana White (a blend of Viognier and Marsanne). They paired nicely with some incredible vodka-infused salmon. I thought the Treana was particularly good, with layer upon layer of flavor. it’s a very rich, full, complex wine. I recently tasted 1998 and 1999 vintages, and they were still outstanding. The older wines were darker in color, but had developed a deep, complex flavor that was still at its peak. Not many California white wines continue to develop in the bottle, but Treana clearly does.

Andy Helfgott leads a lively discussion at one of the tables.

Next, we sipped Esca Zinfandel and Kutch Pinot Noir. Scott and Maribeth brought the Kutch back from a trip to the West Coast. The wine is hard to get and sold on an allocation basis to people who have visited the winery. It is an outstanding Pinot Noir, rich and full in flavor with lots of nuances.

Next came two older Cabernet Sauvignons from my cellar: a 2002 Audelssa and a 2003 Saddleback. We opened those bottles about two hours before the wine was served and the wine was still opening up when we poured them. Initially the Audelssa was more approachable, mellow and smooth. But ultimately I thought the Saddleback was a better match for the marinated grilled flank steak that Scott prepared. Both were outstanding, still drinking in their prime.

To finish we had two sparkling wines and a Port. The first sparkler was Gruet Blanc de Noirs, described by one of the guests as the best sparkling wine in New Mexico. When you tell people it is made in New Mexico, you often get surprised reactions because you don’t expect great sparkling wine like this from that state. It has a beautiful salmon color, with a toasty, rich mouthfeel. And it sells for around $15.

Elizabeth Hopkins, Dora and Tony Shaffer discuss the wines.

The other sparkler was J Cuvee 20, one of my favorites. It also was rich and complex with a lingering aftertaste. It matched well with dessert nibblers.

The final wine was Penfolds Club Tawny Port, Australia’s most popular fortified wine. It is a great bargain port that has plenty of complexity that you are more likely to find in a vintage port. It was a wonderful way to end a magical evening.

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Cost: $15-17

What: This is a rich, full Zinfandel, with a velvety feel in the mouth. It helps to open the wine for at least 30 minutes before you drink it, and you might want to consider decanting it because there is some sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

It opens with berry, spice and cedar aromas. The taste is balanced, with good acidity and ripe fruit. The tannins are there, but they are well integrated and don’t overpower the wine. It has a long finish, with some hints of vanilla.

The grapes come from the Dry Creek area, which grows outstanding Zinfandel. It is aged for 18 months in 50 percent American oak barrels and 50 percent French oak barrels

Winery: Esca Wines is the idea of Mario and Anna Monticelli, who are winemakers for other well-known Napa Valley wineries. Husband Mario works for Trinchero and wife Anna for Pina. While doing those jobs they decided to make wine for themselves and friends, and now for the public.

Esca is Italian for allurement, and clearly wine has an allurement for the Monticellis. Much of their lives seems to revolve around wine.

Mario and Anna met while earning degrees in viticulture and enology at the University of California Davis. Mario’s family have been winemakers for four generations.

After moving to this country from Italy, Mario’s father spent 35 years making wine for Gallo.

Since graduation in 2000, Mario has worked a harvest in Tuscany for the renowned Antinori winery, and worked with some quality wineries in Napa.

Anna followed her graduation with a harvest in Bordeaux for the famed Chateau Cheval Blanc. She also worked for other quality Napa wineries before becoming winemaker at Pina Napa Valley.

On the label of their wine is a bee attracted by the nectar of the hibiscus flower. The Monticellis hope their wines entice wine lovers to embrace the good life. They also make a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Syrah.

Goes with: This wine goes well with mild cheese, fruit, seafood and most any kind of poultry.

Benziger Family Sauvignon Blanc, 2009, California

Cost: $12-15

What: This is a beautiful, complex Sauvignon Blanc, full of citrus fruit and minerality, but the flavors are subtle in the European style. They don’t smack you in the face like some New World Sauvignon Blancs.

The wine is well-rounded, but not soft. It delivers on the promise of a pleasant aroma with flavors of grapefruit, peach, lime and some floral notes.

The wine is made from 60% Sonoma County grapes and 40% Lake County grapes. Lake County is warmer, so those grapes are harvested first and provide the acid backbone that makes this such a good food wine. The Sonoma grapes have more aromatic qualities and plenty of fruit flavor. Together they produce a beautiful expression of Sauvignon Blanc.

Kathy Benziger-Threlkeld in the vineyard.

Winery: I visited the winery this summer and was impressed by the family’s commitment to preserving the land. The winery was established in Glen Ellen in 1980 with 85 acres. More than 20 family members work in the winery that now encompasses 168 acres.

Making a commitment to the environment and to natural farming they tore out many grapevines and cut back the grape-growing acreage. The wines are certified sustainable, organically grown and Biodynamic. The Benzigers go to remarkable lengths to let the character of the land show through in their wines.

They have a beautiful tasting room and an interesting tour that shows visitors what they are doing to practice sustainable farming.

Pedro Parra gets in trench next to grape vines to examine their roots and soil.

When I visited they were working with a consultant who was digging trenches in the vineyards so they could examine the soil down to six to eight feet under the surface. Soil type can change dramatically in a short distance and the Benzigers wanted to know the soil type so they would know how to treat each section of their vineyard.

The consultant made an interesting point about how all the soil in the world is becoming the same because farmers use so much fertilizer and pesticide and do all the same things. What the Benzigers and others committed to Biodynamics are doing is letting the  natural flavors of the soil come through the grapes. It makes for more interesting wines.

They even have planted certain plants to attract beneficial insects to keep away the insects that might harm the grapevines.

Mike Benziger, general manager and winemaker for the Tribute label, said the family has made a serious commitment to sustainable farming. They do everything they can to keep the land healthy so they can continue to produce first-class wines.

This is how they describe what they do: “Our sustainable philosophy promotes natural vineyard management, restoration of the land and biodiversity on the estate. We believe these practices result in wines that reflect the authentic flavors, aromas and character of the vineyard.”

Goes with: This wine is good as an aperitif for summer sipping, but it is even better with food. I had it with barbecued chicken on the grill and it was terrific. The acidity helped cut through the spicy sweet sauce and the crisp fruit flavors brought out the best in the chicken.  It also would go well with mild cheese, fruit, seafood and most any kind of poultry.

Other plants are mixed into the vineyard to create a healthier environment.

One of the retention ponds for treating waste water.

Mike Benziger in the Benziger Family vineyards.

J Cuvee 20 Brut NV, California

Cost: $21-23

What: This delightful, refreshing sparkling wine is a party in a bottle. You pop off the cork, pour, and the dinner party immediately perks up. I have long been a believer that we Americans don’t drink nearly enough sparkling wine. It’s as if we are intimidated by it or we don’t know what food to pair it with.

The truth is a good sparkling wine will match nearly any food, and it’s good for sipping by itself. So I try to drink sparkling wine as often as I can.

When a couple of friends came over for dinner we opened a Cuvee 20 and the conversation picked up. It’s such a versatile wine I would be hard pressed to say whether it was better before or during dinner.

Sparkling wines often don’t have a great aroma, but this one opens with lemon peel, floral and toasty aromas. Very pleasant. The taste is a complex, smooth blend of acid, apple and pear, with a long, lingering finish. Tiny, long-lasting bubbles keep it lively and elegant.

You can’t call this Champagne, because it is not made in the Champagne region of France, but it’s made in the same labor-intensive way classic Champagne is made. The grapes are 49% Pinot Noir, 49% Chardonnay and 2% Pinot Meunier. The grapes from various vineyard lots are fermented separately and blended before bottling. The non-vintage blend includes 25% oak cask aged wines.

After secondary fermentation in the bottle the wine ages for three more years in a cool cellar. Traditional riddling is used to bring the sediment to the neck of the bottle, where it is frozen and disgorged. The wine spends another six months in the cellar before it is released.

Winery: In 1986 Judy Jordan left the family business (Jordan Winery) to produce finely crafted varietals and sparkling wines that have become the hallmark of the Russian River Valley. The sparkling wines captured the public’s attention first, and they are magnificent, but the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay also are quite good.

Pinot Noir is one of the most difficult grapes to cultivate, and certainly one of the most difficult wines to produce with excellence. But when it is done right, it is divine. Only a few spots in the world produce exceptional Pinot Noir, including Burgundy and the Russian River Valley.

The cool coastal climate and the diversity of soils in the Russian River Valley make it ideal for producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, the traditional grapes for Champagne. Jordan and her winemaker George Bursick are celebrating 20 years of crafting fine sparkling wines. The Cuvee 20 is at the low end of their library, with the Brut Rose selling for about $30, and the Vintage Brut selling for $40 or more. All are outstanding.

Goes with: This paired perfectly with a spicy stir fry chicken I made when my friends came over for dinner. It also worked as an aperitif with cheese. The crisp acidity makes it a great match for spicy Asian food and for many rich seafood dishes.

Brancott B Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, 2008

Cost: $25-27

What: This is a special wine, released only in years when the grapes are just right. It’s a dramatic. elegant, complex wine that is perfect for a special dinner.

Since New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc burst onto the wine scene 30 years ago wine drinkers have raved about the unique zesty style. Since then some producers have gone overboard and made wines that are overblown caricatures of great Sauvignon Blanc.

Brancott has remained true to its roots and continues to release powerful but subdued wines that don’t compete with food, but complement food.

The Brancott B is full of grapefruit, green apple, pear and citrusy flavors, with a refreshing mineral undertone, all held together by a crisp acidity. This is the Sauvignon Blanc that all the others want to be.

It expresses the typical Marlborough characteristics with little interference from the winemaker. Slow, cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks keeps the flavors crisp. The wine sees no oak and is released quickly to retain its freshness.

This is part of the Brancott Letter Series, their top varietal range. The wines are hand-crafted using grapes from their best vineyards, chosen to reflect the typical flavors of the region. This version is right on the mark.

The winery says you can cellar the wine for three to five years, but I would drink it young.

Winery: Brancott is the American Brand for Montana Winery, a pioneer in the Marlborough region of New Zealand in the early 1970s. The first grapes were planted in the Fairhall and Brancott vineyards in 1973. When the winery opened in 1976 it was the first in Marlborough, which is now known worldwide as a great wine region.

Brancott was the site of the first significant Sauvignon Blanc vines in New Zealand. even though most people thought the South Island of New Zealand was too cold to grow wine grapes. Today its 570 acres make it the largest estate in the country.

The grape vines get a lot of sun in Marlborough, but because it is close to snow-capped mountains, there is a sharp drop in temperatures at night. This temperature change locks in high acid levels in some grape varieties, particularly Sauvignon Blanc. That keeps the flavors crisp and fresh.

Brancott also produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Riesling wines.

Brancott Estate has made it easier to pair wine with seafood and to make environmentally responsible choices when ordering fish. Partnering with Blue Ocean Institute they have developed a free IPhone app to provide diners with a comprehensive list of sustainable seafood choices and wine pairings. Download the free app FishPhone at the ITunes store and you can check the pairings when you’re out for dinner or at home. If the species you ask about has a conservation problem, the app will make alternative suggestions.

If you don’t have an IPhone, BOI has rolled out its new version of the FishPhone, a free service that provides fish rating information and also sends users alternatives to fish with significant environmental concerns. Users can text message “FISH” along with the name of the species in question, to the number 30644. BOI will reply with an assessment.

I have checked it out and it’s a very handy app. You even can get recipes from top chefs. Now it’s easy to find good pairings and support the sustainable seafood movement. What more could you ask for?

Goes with: I had it with fried shrimp and french fries with corn on the cob and a salad. It also should pair well with tangy food and seafood. I’d recommend avocado, lobster, oysters, trout, salmon, mussels, crayfish, salads, dishes with pesto or Asian food.

Cost: $12-14

What: This wonderfully soft, smooth and fresh fruit wine is delightful on many levels. It’s full of rich, ripe fruit that we love with Zinfandel, but it’s not a high-alcohol fruit bomb that overpowers food.

It’s a well-balanced wine with layer after layer of flavor. It starts with aromas of red and black cherry, minerals and some spice. On the palate, it brings out the cherry flavor, with some strawberry, cocoa, red fruit and smooth tannins. The finish lingers pleasantly.

I had this at a wine-tasting retirement party for a dear friend, and it seemed to please many in the crowd. It is such an easy wine to drink. I thought it was one of a couple of wines that stood out from the seven wines we tasted.

Winery: This wine comes from 113-year-old grapes brought to Lodi, California, by Giacomo Peirano. He came to make his fortune in the Gold Rush, but quickly figured out he could do better opening a mercantile store.

He did well, went back to Italy and returned to California with a wife and 300 grape vines. Giacomo started one of the first vineyards in Lodi. All five of his sons worked in the vineyard, and today the winery is run by the fourth generation of the family.

The old vines yield fewer grapes than young vines, but they deliver an intense flavor that is hard to beat.

The winery also produces red and white blends, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Merlot and Malbec.

Goes with: We had a lot of finger food at the party, but I thought it paired particularly well with London broil in an Argentine marinade that was cooked to medium rare on a grill. The spices in the marinade brought out the spiciness of the Zinfandel. It also held up well with grilled ribs prepared with a Memphis dry rub. It’s also good with fruit and a variety of cheeses.

Don’t be a wine snob. Don’t laugh. Bring along a box of wine. The wine industry has come a long way from the days when boxes contained nothing but cheap, nondescript wine. Now you can get good wine to pair with good food, and you don’t have to pay a lot for it.

This isn’t the kind of wine you want to stick in your cellar to age. You buy it, you drink it right away. But you will be amazed at the variety and quality of wine available in boxes. Box wines have always been available in supermarkets, but now fine wine shops are even stocking them.

Box wines have a lot of advantages. They’re cheaper. They weigh less than the same amount of wine in glass bottles. The wine stays fresh longer because no air gets into the wine. The inner plastic bladder collapses as the wine is drawn out. (Some claim it will be good for six weeks. I’ve managed to keep a box for five weeks, and the wine still tastes good.)

The packaging is easier on the environment, reducing packaging waste by at least 85 percent and carbon emissions by 55 percent. You don’t have to worry about the cork going bad. Oh, did I mention they were cheaper? These are wines my Cheap Bastard pal Dan should positively drool over. He probably lies awake dreaming about wines like these.

Most boxes of wine contain three liters, or the equivalent of four standard bottles of wine. Most of them sell for less than $20 a box, or the equivalent of under $5 a bottle. I’ve tested several wines, and I have not been disappointed. These probably are not wines I would serve at a fancy dinner. But who knows? I might slip one in and see if anyone notices. Some of them have a complexity that’s surprising at this price.

I spent the Fourth of July weekend with my wife’s brother and his family in Nashville. We had 34 people in the house, and though many of them were beer drinkers, I thought it would be a perfect test for boxed wine. We served the Bota Box Cabernet Sauvignon ($18.99) and it was a hit.

I had it with hamburgers and steak, and it matched the food just fine. It’s a full-bodied wine, a typical Cabernet with blackberry and plum aromas with smooth tastes of cherry, blackberry and vanilla, with a hint of spice on the finish. The tannins weren’t overbearing, and it had a pleasant, lingering finish. We drank it for several days, and it was good every time.

I also tried the Bota Box Pinot Grigio, and it was representative of the Pinot Grigio grape. It has a pleasant bouquet of flowers and apples, with flavors of apple and honeysuckle. It’s a medium-bodied wine with a perky finish. It’s great for sipping on the porch after a tough day, or with a light dinner.

The folks who make Bota Box like to point out that their square cardboard container with a plastic bladder inside is completely recyclable. They recommend it for hikers, campers and beach goers who are concerned about the environment. Those of you old enough to remember the bota bags full of wine we used to carry on hikes or skiing in the ‘60s will understand the name. Makes we want to tune in my Pandora Radio oldies station, lie under a tree and dream big dreams while sipping from my Bota Box.

Bota Box also makes Chardonnay, Merlot, Shiraz and Old Vine Zinfandel.

I also tried several varieties of a new packaging system called Octavin, and those wines were terrific. Octavin has taken several name brand wines and boxed them in an eight-sided box containing a plastic bladder. Many of these also sell for less than $20, or less than $5 a bottle. If you buy these wines by the bottle you’ll spend $10 or more.

I tried the Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and found it to be just what you would look for in a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: tart citrus flavors of lime and grapefruit, with a sharp finish. So now when I need a glass of white wine to sip while I’m cooking dinner, I just reach in the refrigerator and draw a glass of refreshing Sauvignon Blanc without having to open a whole bottle that I wouldn’t finish.

Octavin touts their packaging as a home wine bar, and that’s a good description. You can have several varieties of wine open at one time and not feel pressed to finish them any time soon. You just take a glass of whatever you feel like and then try a different variety after that if you want to change.

Octavin also offers Big House Red and Big House White. I’ve long been a fan of Big House wines because they deliver pleasant, easy-to-drink wine made from Mediterranean varietals at a good price. Now in the Octavin package they are a steal.

Big House White starts with a pleasant, fruity aroma that leads to a nice peach and tropical fruit flavor. It’s made of several white varieties that are fermented separately and then blended.

Big House Red is a fruit bomb, showing fruit aromas followed by raspberry flavors mixed with a little pepper. It’s a smooth, easy-drinking wine of medium body, good to sip by itself, but also a good match to red meat and tomato sauces.

I also tried Octavin’s Monthaven Chardonnay, a full-bodied wine from Monterrey. It’s full of tropical fruit flavors with some apple, pear and citrus. The wine is barrel-aged, but the oak flavors are kept nicely mellow. It sells for $23.99 a box, or the equivalent of $6 a bottle. Monthaven also sells Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Octavin package.

Octavin offers several other wines: Pinot Evil Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio, Boho Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel and Seven, a blend of seven Spanish red wines, led by Tempranillo.

Whatever your favorite variety, you likely will find it in a box if you look for it. There are several other brands of box wine available, but these are among the best. So the next time you plan a picnic don’t forget to pack the wine box. You won’t regret it.