I know I haven’t been updating much this week. That’s because I’ve been getting up an hour early every day this week, to get into the office about two hours early, to work on a project that was due in the “middle of February”. That’s a vague deadline, and I generally took it to mean February 15th, but as it became the 10th, then the 11th, I knew the client could call at any time and ask where it was.

Yesterday I had some questions about the project, so I called the client to ask them and set a solid delivery date. Instead the client said, “Oh, I’m sorry I haven’t gotten to you earlier, but that whole thing is on hold. In fact, there’s a chance it may not happen.”

Yeeeaaah, right, O.K.. Thanks a lot.

So last night I drank. What did I drink? Wine. From a box. Now, I know that some people denigrate the Box of Wine. I used to be one of those people. I liked the bottle. I liked that it took almost a ceremony, with special tools, to open. It made it special. It was traditional. And I believed that wine from the bottle was superior.

What is boxed wine? Box of Wine is a corrugated cardboard box that supports and contains a plastic bag with an integrated spout. It has a five liter capacity, which is equivalent to six 750ml bottles (Or something like that. Who can tell, it’s metric). The air tight, one-way spout keeps air from getting to the wine, the way it does in an opened bottle, preventing oxidation. Therefore, though the larger quantity may mean that it is around longer (who is that snickering?), it may actually maintain its quality better. If you believe it has quality.

I was introduced to Box of Wine at the family home of a friend. They drank wine with dinner every night, and therefore went through it fairly quickly. Box of Wine made sense, especially as a dinner wine. The standard was a little lower, and the value and quantity made up for any loss in quality.

That lesson spread to my circle of friends, especially as New Year’s resolutions led to decreased mid-week beer consumption. Still I resisted. Good wine had to come in a bottle.

But who am I kidding? I don’t know that much about wine. I can’t really taste that much difference between brands. I don’t always detect the oak undertones and the cherry finish (you’d think it was a piece of furniture). Yes, I’ve had some good wine and some bad wine, but it’s still wine. And Box of Wine is not the best I’ve ever had. But compare it to beer. I love a good beer. Especially a dark stout. I had a couple recently at a local microbrewery. But most of the time I drink mass-produced lager (which is still better than the most popular beers in America). So, you see, why should we have snobbery about wine? You don’t drink the best every time. If you’ve ever had cheap beer, you can drink a tall, frosty mug of shut-the-hell-up, which, by the way, tastes like Pabst Blue Ribbon.

So I am now on board with Box of Wine. Box of Wine loves you. Box of Wine is always ready, with its amazing no-drip spout, to dispense a little crimson love into your glass. Box of Wine doesn’t care if you only want a little, or if you fill your glass up. Box of Wine doesn’t judge you, so don’t judge it. Box of Wine says to forget your troubles and relax. Like a supportive friend, Box of Wine wants for you what you want for yourself. Box of Wine just wants you to be happy.

Yeah, Box of Wine!