CalNaturale Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines are the first and only California wines made from certified organically-grown grapes. Well, they’re not exactly the only organically grown wines, but they are the ONLY organic wines available in Tetra-Pak flexible packaging. Yes, that’s the ‘juicebox’.
CalNaturale wine’s packaging is certainly more environmentally friendly than the bottle (if not quite as romantic). The box utilizes less than half the greenhouse gases, waste and energy. Though the box packaging may be a little out of your comfort zone, remember that the screw cap was also for a while. So it’s not traditional, but it is lightweight, unbreakable and easily re-sealable. There is not a better option for picnics, bbqs or anywhere else on the go.
CalNaturale is a very approachable wine (how can it not be, it’s in a box!), but a Paso Robles appellation and a hint of French oak also make this a truly quality wine. Though the wine is quite good, I have to say that what I like most is that both Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay varietals are available in two unique sizes, 500 ML and 1 Liter. A normal bottle is 750ml and I always find that it’s a little too much for two and a little too little for four. The small size is 2/3 of a normal bottle, while the large size is 33% larger!
My girlfriend was most suspect, but as such, was also the most surprised. I had to simply let her share her thoughts verbatim…
-bryan
@drea “Although I’ve been taught otherwise, I’m typically skeptical of screw top wine, so I immediately judged the idea of ‘juice box’ wine pretty harshly putting it in a category of Franzia boxed wine before even trying it. I was surprised by how much I liked the Chardonnay – very light and crisp and lacking the cheap taste I was expecting… very refreshing on a hot day. The Cabernet, however, had some bite and was very tanicky. I learned that letting it breathe a lot helped some and a side of red meat helped more, but (coming from someone who generally loves bold wine) it was a bit too strong on it’s own. Regardless, the juice box is empty, so I enjoyed it enough to sip on for a while, but the Chardonnay disappeared fast!”
Nice article but you are misinformed about being the only organic wines in tetra-pak.
Yellow + Blue works with organic wineries in Argentina, Spain and California. They have been in business for almost 4 years and well before Cal Naturale hit the shelves.
Thanks for the feedback Neil… Great point!