"Bag in the Box" wine:

A friend came to visit at my new abode recently. Not being wine-savvy he was surprised to see a wine cask sitting on my kitchen counter top. 'You're drinking cask wine, Truby, ?' he exclaimed, almost aghast.

I have two things to say about this. Firstly, with the improvement in wine technology the past two decades the quality of cask wine has improved dramatically. It would never have become my cooking wine if this was not so, for a food is only as good as the wine used in its preparation.

For the second point, I must take you back to the beginning of 'bag in the box' wine. It was in Victoria, Australia in the early nineteen seventies that the wine cask was developed. It was an immediate success with the Australian public. Every wine loving household had a cask of white in the fridge and a cask of red on the sideboard.

Its success inspired an Australian entrepreneur to think about an export market. The UK was the preferred choice over the USA for the per capita consumption of wine in the USA was under 8 liters at that time. Also, the difference in culture was a major consideration. Wine out of a cardboard box ? Americans would never go for it.

The logistics of getting the cask to the UK were pondered over at length. It was concluded that the wine should be shipped in bulk, and bagged and boxed in London. Thus, in 1979 arrangements were made with a Wapping, London bottler to conduct the exercise.

At this time I was working for Champagne Deutz in Ay, Champagne, but spending Winter months in London with a merchant and studying for the WSET Diploma. As I was known to the Australian entrepreneur I was engaged to assist in getting the wine cask onto the UK market.

Two things were needed. Firstly, what would we name the wine cask. Secondly, how would we launch it.

Well, given the nature of the product, and the historical relationship between UK and Australia, the brand name; Botany Bay, was chosen, and trademarked. Easy !

Now, how to present it to the wine media, and public. Given the concept of a product not seen previously, the launch would have to be spectacular. We had to have them accept an Australian wine, when French was their preferred tipple, and also accept it was being poured out of a cardboard box.

We put our heads together, and formed a board. Joke !

Location of the launch had to match the magnitude of the enterprise. After much research and deliberation, we approached British Rail with the idea of perhaps hiring a train. In discussion we learned that Aldwych subway station operated just half of each day. The decision was easy. London's Wine Media and Wine Trade personnel were invited to a launch luncheon on the platform of Aldwych.

Wait staff were robed in 19th century attire. The food was loaded onto the hidden carriage, and at the appropriate time the train pulled in to the station to pleasantly surprised attendees. See the pic attached.

The Botany Bay wine cask had arrived ! Its spectacular entry onto the UK market was further enhanced by two special events in following months.

I presented the wine cask at the 1980 International Students Day celebration. HRH Queen Elizabeth 1st was the patron, and attended. Her Highness gave a wry smile upon sighting the wine cask. 'Oh yes, I believe Australia makes very good wine,' she said. With her customary graciousness, she obliged by having just a sip, then opined, 'very nice.' Casks were gifted to Buckingham Palace, where it was reported they would be take to Balmoral for enjoyment over Summer.

The wine cask was further promoted when I presented it at the handover from the Australian Government to the London Zoo of two Tasmanian Devils. Once again, media attended the event in the dark underground tunnels of the zoo. A moment of amusement arose when the male devil gave his raucous mating call. causing a stampede of attendees to the wine table. Nobody thought twice about drinking Bag in the Box wine. They relished it.

Now, with the French industry having capitalized on the concept, everyone is enjoying it.

If you have not tried a cask wine in a while, then do so. The quality may surprise you. Every kitchen should have it. Mine does.