After my annual July 4th party, the recycling bin brims with a mountainous pile of wine bottles. I imagine the recycling guy considers me a lapsed Friend of Bill, but hell, our nation's birthday is the day to enjoy everything. In honor of our America's independence, here are some creative tips to prepare for the celebration.
Introduce the Box
Ignore the naysayers who might not be hip to the newfangled wine-in-a-box. Once derided as an outlet for the worst vinous swill on the planet, wineries now sell good juice you squeeze from a bladder – the plastic sack housed inside the box. Within each three-liter "cask" (the box's cool Aussie nickname) are four bottles of wine, hermetically sealed for your fresh drinking pleasure. Once liquid is drawn out, the bladder compresses to avoid exposure to oxygen — the element that ruins wine — so the wine stays drinkable longer (up to nine weeks). Good for a party, it's inexpensive, unbreakable, sits handily on your countertop for easy serving, and requires no dangerous-when-drunk corkscrew. Seek out Hardy's and Black Box selections. (Read more about boxed wines)
This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2009.