I’ve always been mystified by a pretty package.  Even though I can’t afford to pay my never-ending list of parking tickets, I am guilty of buying $10 chocolate bars made proudly in Brooklyn. I think, if it has a well-designed package the contents must be good, right?  Not always.

This grillo made in Sicily offers the other side to this argument.  Fuori Strada Off Road Grillo by Monte Bernardi comes packaged in a box, a tetra pack to be exact, the stuff your coconut water comes in.  It tastes way more expensive then you would expect and the reason is, it actually is more expensive then you would expect.  The winemaker, Michael Schmelzer, told me how he is able to save on costs with shipping the wine since the package is lighter and more travel-friendly then a case of bottles. He is able to offer the consumer a better quality product existing in a not-so-attractive package.

One thing that is a plus or minus depending on how you look at it is this:
the wine is ready to drink now.  Since it is not in a bottle it can’t be kept in your cellar to open when that special time comes along.  I would suggest drinking it immediately with no reason.  One time someone said to me, “oh, you work at a wine store…you must collect wine” and to this I replied, “no, I drink it”.