Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/844641
94 / the tasting panel / july 2017 The challenge in the category, she added, "is really percep- tion. People think that when you have a wine in a box, you cannot get a great-quality product. From your comments— regardless of whether or not you thought it was a box wine—I think all of you would argue that the quality was there. As far as the price point, I heard '$20 to $30.' I heard that it was 'very varietal-specific,' very 'appellation-specific,' so for me it's fun just to dispel the myth about box wine. People that are drink- ing this category know their wine; they're very discerning. And the loyalty on this package is through the roof." While the wines showed well, it's worth noting that one can't just throw any wine into a box and expect success. "The trick is to make a wine that reacts well to that bag inside the box," Vin Vault Winemaker Chris Willis pointed out. "There's going to be more permeability to that bag, so you're going to make a bigger, more robust, higher-tannin wine, because you TASTINGS Stephanie Gallo (left), fly on the wall and Vice President of Marketing at E. & J. Gallo. Vin Vault, overall winner of the blind box-wine tasting. E. & J. Gallo Winemaker Chris Willis (in white shirt) responds to a tasting note. From front to back: Marty Cruz, Sommelier/ Beverage Manager, Hidden Vine on the Lake; Mike Davis, Business Partner, Hidden Vine on the Lake; Meridith May, Publisher/Editorial Director, The Tasting Panel; David Schlesinger, Wine Specialist, OC WineMart; and Jim Bell, Sommelier, OC Wine Mart & Deli.