Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/844641
july 2017 / the tasting panel / 95 know it's going to develop right away." As the overall best tasting box wine brand, Vin Vault has found that perfect combination between packaging and what's inside it. "The people who buy this wine taste that first glass and they love it, and they know they're going to get to drink three liters of it," he added. "They'll come back the next day, and it tastes the same; in fact, it lasts for four weeks. The result is a premium, everyday drinker on tap that maintains its freshness for a month. Modern technology has advanced how we enjoy wine in a wide variety of packages, from glass with cork and screw cap to bags and even cans." Added Gallo, "We taste box wine all the time. Our com- petitors source grapes from all over the world, and I have to tell you that I am blown away with the quality of box wine that's coming out of California. What you're seeing is a tremendous sense of entrepreneurial spirit. Our winemakers are willing to challenge different things, and what we're starting to see is craft wine for the box." The quality gains are not lost on Kent Bearden, Senior Director of Operations at Saint Marc USA. "As far as perception of boxed wine goes, I equate it to beer in a can," he said. "If you look at craft beers two years ago, very few were packaged in a can—it was taboo even. All craft beer was packaged in a glass bottle . . . Now, try to find one that isn't, because now the understanding is about quality, not perception." Amy Mullally, Domestic Wine Buyer, The Wine Country, Signal Hill, CA, called the correct grape variety in every flight! Jerry Grady, Owner of JGrady Select, after the reveal. Hanger steak and a flight of Pinot Noir at Vaca, Costa Mesa, CA. Kent Bearden, Senior Director of Operations, Saint Marc USA. "What we're starting to see is craft wine for the box." —Stephanie Gallo, Vice President of Marketing at E. & J. Gallo