Detroit Free Press: There is a growing group of wine drinkers who are turning to the box rather than the bottle. With better wine varieties now available in boxes, wineries are attempting to give the category a new identity far from the rowdy boating trips and drunken fraternity parties that gave box vino its cheap, low-quality image.

The effort seems to be paying off. Box wine is now the fastest-growing wine category. According to data from AC Nielsen, three-liter box wine sales grew 44% in the past year, compared to a 3% gain in overall table wine volume.

"It's gaining tremendous acceptance by the consumer," said Ben Dollard, president of Pacific Wine Partners, a division of Constellation Brands. "It's just the tip of the iceberg."

Vintners have been doing a good deal of experimenting in the last few years. Wine even comes in plastic bottles and cans.

Although wine has been packaged in a box for some time, the new boxes aren't like the five-liter jugs of sweet, headache-inducing wines of the past.

Although those still are readily available, premium varieties on the market show a bit more complexity with hints of berry, apple or oak.

Of course, the premium entries are more expensive. For example, a Chardonnay can run $20 for a box that contains the equivalent of four bottles, whereas the lower quality five-liter boxes sell for between $6 and $10 for more than 6 bottles of wine.

The premium boxes are still a steal, however, because one quality bottle can cost $10 to $30 or more.

Box wine manufacturers can afford to charge less for quality when the packaging materials are far less expensive.

And of course, you can't beat the convenience. You can take a box of wine just about anywhere or you can leave it at home and not worry that it will go bad. Box wines stay fresh for as long as four weeks after they're opened because the boxes contain a vacuum-sealed bag that prevents the wine from being exposed to air.

"A box just kind of sits in the fridge and I don't have to think about it," said Waller.

Box wines are worth toasting [Detroit Free Press]