These LCBO boxed wines are perfect for camping and more

Based on the author’s interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events.

The much-maligned format is handy, super portable, shatterproof and keeps wine fresh for weeks. You'll wonder why you haven't been buying it all along.

Economical, eco-friendly boxed wines are a smart choice for many scenarios.

The Labour Day weekend is almost here. The last kick at the campfire thing, which means it’s time to take a good look at bag-in-box wine.

Naturally, boxed wine is the best wine for camping. But the format works well for cottaging and large gatherings too. It’s handy, space-saving, shatterproof and relatively lightweight. It stays fresh for weeks after opening, doesn’t require a corkscrew and doesn’t drip. And yes, boxed wine can be tasty, too.

NV Peller Family Vineyards Pinot Grigio, Ontario (LCBO $46.95/4L)

Here are five of the best cartons of vino starting with the bestselling wine at the LCBO by volume — the NV Peller Family Vineyards Pinot Grigio (LCBO $46.95/4L).

This international blend of imported and domestic wine is not fancy, terroir-driven or even vintage-dated. And it won’t wow you with complexity. But it’s clean, well-balanced and tastes like Pinot Grigio should — making it better than many boxed wines on shelf in Ontario. And it’s inexpensive at the equivalent of $8.80 per 750-mL bottle.

Each glassful of wine shines clear and bright. The fragrance suggests candied lemon zest — offering attractive purity of fruit. And it sweeps in tasting clean, understated and bright nodding toward apple and lemon zest. It’s also quite dry for a boxed wine with a 6 g/L of sugar, which works out to about ¼ tsp of sugar per 5 ounce/150-mL pour. This easy-drinking white with a 12 per cent alcohol adds up to honest value. Score: 89

Serve this light, bright white with grilled salmon and corn-on-the-cob slathered with butter and sprinkled with salt. Enjoy it in the afternoon with a handful of potato chips, cheese curds or peanuts. Or pair it with a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich for a greater than the sum situation.

NV Colio Extra Dry White Wine, international blend (LCBO $40.95 till Sept. 10 reg $42.95/4L)

If you prefer a bone-dry white wine, the NV Colio Extra Dry White Wine (LCBO $40.95 till Sept. 10 reg $42.95/4L) is a good buy. Like the Peller Family Vineyards Pinot Grigio, this international blend of imported and domestic wine tastes clean, crisp and neutral with allusions of lemon and apple — but it tastes more linear, lip-smacking and tart because it contains almost no sugar. You won’t find much persistence on the finish, but it leaves the palate scraped clean making it a surefire refresher. This light and lively wine with 12.5 per cent alcohol works out to about $7.70 per 750 ml. Score: 89

Colio Extra Dry White pairs well with campfire pork ribs — spice-rubbed rather than mopped with sweet sauce. Or pour it over ice and top it up with soda water for a sassy spritzer.

2021 Open Smooth Red, VQA Ontario (LCBO $43.95/3L)

For something vintage-dated and made from Ontario fruit, consider the 2021 Open Smooth Red, VQA Ontario (LCBO $43.95/3L). This is a sweeter style of red wine with 25g/L of sugar, which is a teaspoon per glass, but it’s well-balanced so doesn’t cloy. Expect a clean crush of ripe red and black berries, a silky texture and mid-weight at 13 per cent alcohol. While this wine isn’t complex, it’s generously fruited and sunlit making it a pleasure to drink. And it’s economical for a VQA wine at the equivalent of $10.95 per bottle. Score: 90

Open Smooth Red works well without food, paired with a sunset or a good book. At supper, serve it with grilled meat glazed with sticky sauce or a can of baked beans heated over an open fire.

NV Black Cellar Shiraz Cabernet, international blend (LCBO $38.95/3L)

If you like big, bold reds that are dry but not too dry, the NV Black Cellar Shiraz Cabernet is for you (LCBO $38.95/3L). This international blend of domestic and imported wine teems with robust, jammy aromas then streams in with chocolate covered strawberry flavours that shift toward suggestions of mint and chocolate. With 17g/L and about ½ tsp of sugar per glass, this medium-bodied red with 13 per cent alcohol is sweet-centred and finishes dry. Score: 89

Black Cellar Shiraz is perfect for fire-roasted hot dogs. Skip the condiments and let the wine shine through.

NV Franzia Cabernet Sauvignon, California (LCBO $39.95/3L)

For a red that’s drier still, reach for the NV Franzia Cabernet Sauvignon from California (LCBO $39.95/3L). This popular red swirls with flavours and aromas of blackcurrant laced with black cherry and poached plum. The velvety mouthfeel and relatively little residual sugar at 9g/L — or about ¼ teaspoon per glass — makes it easy to enjoy glass after glass without tiring the palate. It’s also refreshingly low in alcohol for a Californian Cabernet at 12.5 per cent. This supple, quenching red is casual, fun to drink and won’t blow the budget at the equivalent of $9.99 per bottle. Score: 93

If your camping trip steps it up a notch with spice-rubbed, grilled steak, foil-roasted potatoes and Caesar Salad — Franzia is your box of wine.

When the trip is through, The Beer Store takes and recycles wine boxes with the bags inside.

Carolyn Evans Hammond is a Toronto-based wine writer. Reach her at [email protected]

Carolyn Evans-Hammond is a Toronto-based wine writer and afreelance contributing columnist for the Star. Wineriesoccasionally sponsor segments on her YouTube series yet they haveno role in the selection of the wines she chooses to review or heropinions of those wines. All prices are subject to change. Pleasedrink responsibly. Reach her via email: [email protected].

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