Meanwhile, the savvy minds at Wine Block, a new brand owned by Kendall-Jackson founder Jess Jackson, haven’t strayed quite as far outside the box. (Sorry … couldn’t resist.) But their focus on convenience is impressive.

Wine Block took the standard Scholle plastic container and shrank it by half: 1.5-liter bags are housed inside vibrant square cubes that tuck into a fridge or cooler with far less fuss than their 3-liter counterparts. (Target offers a similar product, the Wine Cube, in some stores.) The Block is a box fit for Goldilocks: Not too big, not too small, as perfect for a summer bash as it is for casual drinkers who don’t buy wine because they can’t finish a bottle before it spoils.

The wines themselves — 75,000 cases each of Cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay — are primarily sourced with excess from Kendall-Jackson’s own 12,000 acres of vineyards, plus some off the bulk market.  Once again: A well-made product from a reputable name — at $10 for the equivalent of two standard bottles.

“We think we have a tiger by the tail here,” says Kendall-Jackson vice president George Rose.

So what’s the catch? The glut in the California wine market, which opened the door for projects like these, is gone. Good, cheap juice is harder to get. That said, Wine Block is still tapped into the Kendall-Jackson pipeline; the Three Thieves are adding pinot grigio, merlot and syrah to their repertoire and looking for new deals on the global market.

Meantime, these new-style boxes allow you to enjoy wine without lugging around a clunky bottle. Seems like a perfectly good thing to celebrate on Independence Day.

TASTING NOTES

So, how are these new box wines?  They’re tailored for easy drinking — and often not bad. You’ll generally taste clear fruit, modest amounts of oak and a clean finish. At least one was truly distinctive.

Whites generally fared better than reds. The standout by far was Three Thieves 2003 Bandit Bianco trebbiano Rubicone ($6/1 litre), packaged from grapes in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. Trebbiano is a workhorse of a grape, perhaps Europe’s most-planted variety and often added to punch up other wines.  Whatever the Thieves did here, it works. Theirs is refreshing and tangy, with a smooth core of citrus flavors and a hint of almond. Drink it, cook with it, serve it to friends; a wine this pleasant, and this versatile, is nearly impossible to find at the price.

The Wine Block 2004 California chardonnay ($10/1.5 litres) was also a contender.  It’s a standard Golden State chard — with that inevitable brush of oak — but there’s peach, pear and tart lime in the mix, making it balanced and pleasant.  Those bright notes offset the expected creaminess. Very much what you’d expect, given the source. Kendall-Jackson knows its market and this wine will please many of its fans.

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I don’t think the reds are quite as far along, though several are a good option for a backyard bash.

Again, Wine Block showed well with both its 2002 California Cabernet sauvignon and its 2002 California merlot (both $10/1.5 litres). They’re competent varietal examples that will get plastic cups clicking. The Cab is built around plum, black cherry and cocoa flavors. It’s a bit too sweet, but well-defined and it finishes well. The merlot is focused on brambly fruit, with the oak nicely folded in along with subtle aromas of tobacco and coffee. It’s bright, just full-bodied enough and shows way better than many bottled merlots.

The Black Box 2003 Paso Robles Cabernet sauvignon ($18/3 litres) showed the most delicate flavors, but it lacked character. While the wine is full of those classic cherry and blackberry notes, its aromas were muted.

The big names of Australian wine also provide decent options.  If you’re a shiraz fan, the Hardy’s 2003 Stamp of Australia shiraz ($16/3 litres) should work. It’s a workaday Aussie effort, but there’s good spice and it’s got a nice earthy note to balance out the fruit. Doesn’t play all the notes correctly, but the tune is pleasant enough.

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