Portugal to Turkey: The BIB Wine Company
The BIB Wine Company, who sell fine wine in boxes, are running monthly tastings with sample pouches of a selection of their wines. This month's theme was From Portugal to Turkey and around 20 people joined BIB co-founder, Ollie, who took as through each of the wines online, including a delicious Sancerre and a surprising Turkish rosé!
BIB ordinarily sell 2.25 litre boxes, the equivalent of 3 standard bottles of wine, so this is a great opportunity to try some of their wines before investing in a box or two!
Ollie began the tasting by explaining that each sachet contained 100ml of wine (a standard glass is 175ml) and we had 6 samples (a standard bottle is 750ml), so that tasters were aware of how much they’ll be consuming during the evening. He also explained that the wine would keep for between 7-10 days, if you gently squeeze the excess air from the top and popped them in the fridge. This is the first wine tasting I’ve attended where the supplier has promoted responsible drinking and it got me thinking that this is something that everyone should do!
BIB began three years ago, when Ollie and co decided to create bag in box wines that they would want to drink themselves. The biggest driver was the environmental gain, which Ollie is clearly as passionate about as the wines. The weight of shipping and transporting glass bottles, as well as the energy consumed to recycle them, means that they have a carbon footprint 10 times greater than bag in box. This also means they can offer better value because the packaging is less expensive than glass.
Bag in box wines are vacuum packed so they last longer. You literally have wine on tap, meaning you no longer have the excuse to open a bottle of wine and be tempted to drink the whole thing (sorry!) or pour it down the sink when it’s past its best - I’ll leave you to decide which is the greater travesty.
There are limitations with bag in box, you can’t bag sparkling wine - yet and, although the wines evolve in bag, the process is quicker so it doesn’t lend itself to collecting or laying down a wine to enjoy years later. I’m open to buying wine in any format that fits the occasion and style of the wine. There are clearly lots of advantages to bag in box too and it’s great that it’s having a resurgence.
If you’re interested in learning more about bag in box wines and alternative formats, read our previous review here. It’s also worth checking out Laylo and When In Rome who are also doing great things with the bag in box concept.
The BIB Wine Company’s next online wine tasting takes place on 21st October - more details here.
The wines
Encostas da Pedra Alta Douro Branco 2019
56% Rabigato, 37% Gouveio and 7% Viosinho
Lemony with a lovely minerality, slightly savoury and super-refreshing. One taster suggested it would be gorgeous with grilled sardines - spot on!
£38.50 for a 2.25 litre box (£12.83 per 75cl bottle)
Domaine Reverdy Ducroux 'Clos du Roy' Sancerre 2020
Sauvignon Blanc
Gorgeous green apples with a luxuriously full mouth. Ollie’s suggestion of pairing with salmon en croûte is perfect.
£49.90 for a 2.25 litre box (£16.63 per 75cl bottle)
Paşaeli Çalkarasi Turkish Rosé 2020
Calkarasi
This was my first experience of turkish wine and what a way to start! Both fruity (cherries and strawberries), floral and herbal. If you like a more complex rosé then this is for you! I throughly enjoyed this with a bit of mezze during the tasting.
£35.20 for a 2.25 litre box (£11.73 per 75cl bottle)
Weingut Straka 'Nimbus' 2019
Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Merlot
A juicy peppery red. Initially an explosion of cherries followed up with smokey bacon! Good match for a charcuterie platter.
£37.90 for a 2.25 litre box (£12.63 per 75cl bottle)
Hacienda Albae Tempranillo 2019
Tempranillo
Strawberry vanilla & coconut. Someone on the zoom even said they were getting Drumstick lollies which is a great shout! If you like Rioja then this is for you. Have with roast lamb or even just some dark chocolate.
£29.90 for a 2.25 litre box (£9.97 per 75cl bottle)
Joséphine et Frédéric Arnaud Côtes-du-Rhône 2019
100% Syrah
Fruity and peppery with a hint of liquorice. Smooth tannins balanced with good freshness. Enjoy with roast meat.
£35.60 for a 2.25 litre box (£11.87 per 75cl bottle)
