caretaker

Emu Cream is good cooking sherry, but I don't keep it on hand always like I used to. I still want a bottle of Emu 999 in the cupboard though, it's good for making gravy or for an aperitif or nightcap.

Atlantic Xpat

I too purchased, and consumed, a bottle of cream sherry over Christmas. Age gets to us all in the end.

dbd33

An econo-cab I find acceptable:

Cathedral Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon | LCBO

Souvy

A noticeable trend here in QC of late has been the rise of the wine box. They were quite rare a couple of years ago. They are now very common.

We now buy our plonk in 3-litre boxes. It's cheaper and the wine lasts for quite a long time (in theory; we haven't put it to the test).

It pisses off our blue-bin diver immensely.

Novocastrian

I'm doing that too for everyday tipple here in the UK. I like to shop as a pedestrian when possible and the, in my case, 2.25 litre boxes are much easier to carry than three glass bottles. As you say, a bit cheaper as well.

Souvy

And why not? The only purposes of a wine container are to keep the wine in, the air out, and to not react with the wine. Glass and bits of dead tree were used because there was nothing else. Plastic and aluminium are just as good.

Cork is a bit unreliable anyway. That's why Bordeaux bottles have mm numbers on them (or did, anyway).

BristolUK

My problem with a wine box is splashing out on the unknown. I have a vague recollection of buying Stowells in the UK because they also did the small glass size bottles (small glass not whole bottle in a glass ) and I could try it before the bigger outlay.

NB's 3 or 4L supply is very limited and mostly they don't have the equivalent in 750 size although they do have 1.5L but it's little price difference - 1.5 @ $16 and 3 @ $30.

Where they do have 3L and 750 the bottles are just under $10 and the boxes about $32. That's a bigger difference but unless it's a Rosé I don't think I'd give a bottle of wine under $10 a go as I'm unable to finish even a glass of cheap wine. Remember booze is a bit more here. Under $10 in NB is under $8 in Ontario.

For the other boxes, the 4L ones, where there's no opportunity to try it in a smaller size $40 is a lot to spend on what might be a lot of wine wasted.

Atlantic Xpat

Interesting. $15.95 in the LCBO, $17.27 in the NLC. Thats a smaller premium than I imagined. I'll give it a try!

On wine boxes I have no hang up with drinking wine from a box. My concerns are more around a ready, don't have to open it, source of red wine available could lead to rather more consumption than I really need!

Pizzawheel

No to EMVA cream though I do recall the name.

Wineboxes are simply way more practical sizewise than bottles. If I fancy a glass or two (its always two) of wine on a Monday, I might not get back to it til Saturday, which is on the cusp of how long it will last. One downside is a white box takes a lot of space in the fridge.

Avoid the cheapest $30 boxes- they can be rough- go for a varietal from a recognizable brand which is still under $40. So thats and uplift of $2.50 a litre. And you should be good!

Novocastrian

That's another advantage.

Atlantic Xpat

It's alright for you retirees....some of us have to go to work in the morning! (Not to mention wrangle small children, something thats infinitely more painful with a hangover..)

Novocastrian

I may be retired but I haven't yet lost my memory.

BristolUK

Still a large outlay.

The obvious one in NB would be Lindemans. I used to favour their Bin 65 Chardonnay @ $13.99 a bottle but went right off it. They do 3L of not Bin 65 for $37.99.

I just did a quick google on it and I'm obviously not the only one with people saying their previous "go to" wine is now swamp water among other things.

Anyway, having gone off it, I'm not keen on forking out the $38 when I'm not liking the $14 version. It's unlikely to be better and if it's the same then $38 isn't a huge advantage on $42.

Most of the others are Canadian and a Jackson Triggs Rosé aside I've not found one that's drinkable.

Maybe it's just a poor selection here.

Souvy

I think you have said that before but I can't honestly remember.

Oink

I'm not condoning it, but you could pop over the border and load up with a few cheeky boxes of wine. You can get a nice 4L box of red for about $18.00.