“What?” I hear you readers cry “box wine?” That epitome of un-chic, the packaging that screams bad, awful wine?

Yup, it’s true, box wine sales are taking off, and for two very good reasons: they’re cheaper than the same wine in 750 ml glass bottles, and, once opened, they last longer. A lot longer.

The Scandinavians have known this for years. In Norway, Finland and Sweden, half of all wine sold is in a bag in a box. According to David DeBoer, VP of International Sales for Delicato Family Vineyards, makers of Bota Box and LOFT boxed wines, and one of the two major US producers, “Unlike the U.S., which still battles the stigma that boxed wine equates to poor quality, this has never been an issue in Scandinavia, as boxed wines have always been popular and have always maintained a high standard of quality.”