‘You are like a long lost cousin’ said Rob Malin the founder of the fabulous wheninromewine.co.uk when we first met. We do indeed appear to share much common DNA, an eye for a good pop-up bar and running for starters. In principal though it is the desire to offer quality wine from bag in box with a minimum of fuss and a complete lack of pretension that binds us. We have waxed lyrically about the carbon footprint benefits of bag in box wine plus the ease of its storage and service at various events together including winecarboot.com and craftbeerrising.co.uk.
‘Did you know only 60% of glass bottles get recycled in the UK and that ‘cullet’ a by-product of glass recycling gets exported as the UK produces too much for its own requirements?’, I stated. ‘Quite, but did you know that in France 38% of retail wines sales are in Bag in Box format, compared to only 3% here in the UK!’, Rob retorted. Ahh, the hours just flew by… a fellow wine-bag-in-box geek, hurray!
When in Rome offers a whole range of quality Italian wines from small producers, great expressions of well-known grape varietals just perfect for every day drinking. The 5 litre ‘La Grande’ are a perfect size for a large dinner party, events and for the wholesale portfolio. However, the real genius of the When in Rome offering is the ‘La Mezza’ a perfectly compact and cheeky 2.25 litre bag in box. ‘Fits perfectly in my fridge door’ said one happy punter. Perfect for festivals, the beach, picnics plus there is always room in the car for a couple of these no matter how laden down with the kids, dog and all that camping gear.
My personal pick of the bunch: the super zippy fresh and aromatic Sauvignon from the foothills of the Alps (award winner too – Concours International Wine in Box 2017_), the delicate fragrant Pinot Grigio (forget those bland supermarket bottles – eeuugghh) and for those who like weight and body in their red wine, but don’t fancy the whack of alcohol and tannin, then reach for the Refosco, you could even chill it slightly this Summer.
Packaging certainly helps, but it’s also good to have exclusivity too. Camilla Wood runs the fabulous Somerset Wine Company in Castle Cary and has recently teamed up with the team behind the acclaimed Tisbury Deli. Need olives, cheese, charcuterie and bread with your wine then go and check it out, it really is the perfect one stop treat shop.
The Velenosi range of wines from the Marche are an exclusive import by the somersetwinecompany.com to the UK. More Wine is delighted to add two of their red wines to our Bag in Box portfolio. The boxes might not be quite so hip but the wines certainly hit the spot. Straight Montepulciano from the Abruzzo or Rosso Piceno, blended with 30% Sangiovese. Fruit driven wines with just the right amount of structure and body. Great with pasta and chargrilled meat!
