Uncorked: Rethink drinking outside the box with these finds

Amy Ezrin was going to be an opera singer.

She’d completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago, a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern studies, and moved to New York, where she took a job at Oxford University Press.

But being a classically trained singer since she was 11 years old, she wanted to embark on a vocal career, so she moved to Florence, Italy, and continued her training. Spending eight years there, she picked up fluency in the charming Florentine accent, got well acquainted with Tuscan wines with part-time restaurant work, and started a career in the importation and distribution of Italian wines.

When COVID lockdowns hit, she was able to collaborate with a colleague on Rosie Giovese, a boxed wine focused on sangiovese and trebbiano, which she said are “classic central Italian varieties.” Box Italian wine has a small footprint on wine store shelves; the two varieties she features have even less.

It’s perfect for outdoor celebrations on the Fourth of July weekend and for summer entertaining, and is joined by a slew of other crowd-pleasing wines and a wine-cocktail from stalwart Oregon producer Stoller that easily could be the drink of the summer.

“I’ve always joked that my alter ego was Sandy Giovese; after all these years, sangiovese ran in my veins,” Ezrin said. “I speak Italian with a distinct Florentine accent, and most of the people I buy wine from think it’s hilarious. It sounds a little old-fashioned, and they can’t tell if I am making fun of them. The English comparison would be like a proper, Southern accent of someone from Virginia. All the great Italian comedians in Italy have the accent.”

With Rosie Giovese Vino Rosato and Sandy Giovese Vino Rosso ($29/$34 per 3-liter box), Ezrin hit all the right notes. In many boxed wines, the juice in the bag is an afterthought, an offensive sugar bomb. One of the worst sights at a party, barbecue or outdoor concert is a boxed wine. The mere sight means it’s time for a beer or cocktails.

Rosie Giovese, however, has a tasty, refreshing nature. The rosé has flavors of under-ripe strawberry and watermelon. The Vino Rosso has cherry, plum and earthy thyme flavors. Served chilled, it’s a charming red wine that’s going to smash established paradigms for boxed wine. There are some epic wines sampled for this column, and it’s easy to not want to like one that comes in a box.

On a Tuesday afternoon Zoom call with Ezrin, she saw I couldn’t mask the enjoyment offered by the wine.

“That reaction pleases me the most,” Ezrin said. “That look that this wine is actually good, that’s a compliment. I love that you are surprised that the wine is good. Our growth has been through a lot of word of mouth. We had sommelier Andre Mack name it his top boxed wine.

“La Belana, the fine Italian restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, bought a box to do it by the glass,” she said. “This way, they don’t have to bring a bottle to the table, just a glass. We are in a lot of little wine shops right now, and that’s where I want to be. That’s my audience, that’s who I want buying it, because I still want to identify as an independent brand.”

Still, it’s an uphill battle to change consumers’ minds. Rosie Giovese won’t crash through the glass ceiling of fine wine that is destined to be bottle bound.

Rather, she’s a disrupter in the market place. The $15 or $20 picnic or outdoor party bottle can easily be replaced by Rosie Giovese. Sitting outside for Fourth of July fireworks on a blanket, Rosie Giovese provides easy cleanup. It’s the equivalent of four, 750 ml bottles of wine in one box, and can be recycled when empty. Just don’t toss the box into a cooler with ice. The cardboard won’t take well to the water, and you’ll have the minor inconvenience of pouring from the silver-foil-colored bag.

Still, the simplicity of traveling with, enjoying and cleaning up the wine is still met by challenges on the distribution side. Wine buyers aren’t sure how to market boxed wine.

“I’m kind of on a crusade for all wines out there in boxes that are of good quality,” Ezrin said. “It’s unique in its style and look, but there is lots to discover. The biggest challenge is the gatekeeper, not the consumer. One of [the] biggest hurdles [is] lack of retail understanding and appreciation – a hesitancy with the format in general.”

Also built for outdoor or poolside sipping is Stoller Swing ($10). The 500 ml bottle is a blend of pinot noir, vermouth and citrus botanicals with what Stoller President Gary Mortensen said is “a kiss of effervescence.”

It’s brilliant as strawberry, grapefruit and tart orange peel flavors dance on the bubbles.

“I’ve wanted to make a Rosé Spritz like this for years,” Stoller vice president of winemaking Melissa Burr said. “When Karl Weichold joined our team as production winemaker in fall 2020, the timing was right to make it happen. His decade-long experience making both Oregon wine and vermouth coupled with our approach to pinot noir came together beautifully in this wine-based cocktail.”

TASTING NOTES

Bold Wine Co. (Seabold) Grenache, Lodi 2018 ($25): Dried roses and violets on the nose, with strawberry, raspberry and star anise flavors.

Alma de Cattleya Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County 2021 ($22): Winemaker Bibiana González Rave has a way with the varietal; flavors of passion fruit, grapefruit, guava and a crunch acidity.

Meinklang, Burgenland White, Austria 2021 ($21): A radical experience; honeydew melon, grapefruit, ginger and a round mouthfeel.

Avinyó Reserva, Cava 2018 ($20): Toasty almond and green apple flavors with crispy bubbles.

• James Nokes has been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Email him at jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.