You’ve heard it all of your life, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” And most likely, as you’ve applied that principal throughout your life, you’ve realized it really is good advice. That Pad Kee Mao you wouldn’t have touched a few years ago? It’s now become something you crave ever since you tried the Thai place on the corner and took the suggestion of the waiter.

But that principal can’t possibly apply to wine, especially not the boxed wine variety, can it? After all, we’ve all been to those BBQ’s that feature “wine spritzers.” You know how it goes, fill your glass with ice, pour in some 7-Up and top with boxed wines finest white Zinfandel. With that image etched into one’s memory, how can a person possibly not judge a wine by it’s container?

Well, times are changing and so is the world of wine. Twist-offs are increasingly gaining popularity, albiet with resistance from some, so why can’t a good wine be packaged in something other than a glass bottle? Perhaps changing our preception of what a “good wine” should be bottled in might change the way we purchase wine in the future. That is the hope of at least one company who has decided to think outside the box, and package their wine in a tube.

The brainchild of parent company Creative International, Four provides a 3 liter container of red wine for $39 USD. We were able to get our hands on one since it’s official launch in October of 2008, and here is what we thought.

Full disclosure: This tube was sent as a press sample.

Wine: Four – Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: California
Vintage: 2006
Varietal(s): 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Sirah
ABV: 14.8%
Price: $39
Production: 4,000 Cases (they did the math)
Notes: This inky purple wine has a lovely aroma of blackberry, cassis, anise, and a touch of mocha, with a medium bodied mouth feel with chewy tannins that linger and coat the palate. You won’t find this type of complexity in most competing wines under $10 a bottle. A very good effort that is drinking good now, and will for the next 3 to 5 years.
Score: 88 pts (B+)

Website: www.fourwinetube.com