The Boxed Rosé Wine Consumer Reports Rated Highest

From connoisseurs to casual drinkers, it's sometimes instinctual to turn up one's nose at the sight of wine poured from a box's spigot, as it conjures visions of fraternity parties or girls' weekends gone awry. But boxed wine may have finally overcome its negative stigma. The vacuum-sealed bag inside allows the beverage to avoid oxidation and remain fresh for longer than bottled varieties. The box packaging isn't just more environmentally friendly than glass bottles, it's also more affordable for producers, lowering the beverage's shelf cost. And overall, there's actually very little reason why wine from a box should be worse than the more traditional alternative. Good wine depends on the quality of the grapes and the skill of the producer. Packaging, meanwhile, is simply a signal for consumers.

As Americans increasingly open their hearts to bag-in-a-box vino, more delicious wines are becoming available in boxed form (we even have a guide for identifying the best ones). One of these great wines is Vrac Vin de Pays de Méditerranée Rosé, a French variety made with grapes sourced from southeastern France and sold in both bottles and 3-liter boxes. In 2022, Consumer Reports rated Vrac the highest among the boxed rosés its experts tasted, describing it as "super-drinkable" while remaining complex enough to serve all kinds of wine fans. Its tasting notes include delicious fruity remarks such as peach and grapefruit, balanced with savory flavors like slate, talc, and salt.

Consumer Reports priced the 3-liter box of Vrac at $28.96. At first glance, that might seem steep compared with other delicious and inexpensive rosés. But each box holds the equivalent of four standard 750-milliliter bottles, bringing the price down to just $7.24 each — or roughly $1.45 for a 5-ounce glass.

The savings become even more apparent when you compare the box with Vrac's bottled version. Online, a 750-milliliter bottle goes for $13.99, meaning four would cost $55.96. Based on those prices, choosing the box would save shoppers about $27, although the precise difference fluctuates depending on the retailer and vintage.

This is a strong value for those looking to buy rosé in bulk for a party, but also for a solo drinker who wants a single delicious, affordable glass per night without wasting the rest. On the crowdsourced wine-rating app Vivino, Vrac rosé boasts an admirable 3.7 out of 5 stars. The most common user rating was 4 stars — a fitting appraisal for an affordable, easy-drinking wine — and many reviewers applauded Vrac as a great companion for casual summer gatherings. "Pepper and chili on the palate. Would be great for a summer barbecue," wrote one fan in 2019. Another offered even simpler serving instructions: "It's the right color, light on the nose, dry on the back. Drink it outside, duh!"