First Blush

Austin-born boxed wine gets in the summer spirit with new rosé

Raise a toast to BOXT's new Profile Nine rosé.

Courtesy of BOXT

Just in time for National Rosé Day on Saturday, June 12 (do we really need another excuse to imbibe luscious pink wine?), an Austin entrepreneur with an intoxicating box of tricks is uncorking her latest offering: a limited-edition Pinot-Noir-imbued rosé.

BOXT, the Austin-based wine biz launched in March by former venture capitalist Sarah Puil, is topping off its six-varietal wine selection with the addition of its Profile Nine rosé.

“With its delicate apricot color, subtle floral aroma, and refreshingly bright acidity, this elegant blush rosé is cool, crisp, bright, and dry,” Puil says. “In a word, it’s divine, the perfect wine for summer.”

From the get-go, BOXT has promised its products are “100 percent premium, 0 percent snob,” and the company’s libations are proving there is indeed truth in wine — especially when opting for taste over varietal.

Crafted at BOXT’s Napa winery, the BOXT wines eschew the traditional varietal classifications in favor of a simpler number-based system, with the brand’s initial six wines (three white, three red) simply noting the flavor profiles:

One: Bright, crisp, and dry (similar to a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc)
Two: Rich, oaky, and golden (similar to a California oaked Chardonnay)
Three: Floral, fruity, and sweet (similar to a Gewurtztraminer, perfect for pairing with dessert)
Four: Soft, vibrant, and dynamic (similar to a Sonoma Pinot Noir)
Five: Big, bold, and smooth (similar to a Napa Valley Cabernet)
Six: Sweet, juicy, and velvety (similar to a red-wine blend or California Zinfandel)

Notably missing from that first released six-pack of BOXT wines: a rosé, the very varietal the new BOXT Profile Nine features.

Key to the BOXT wine brand is, well, the box. Meant to engender a wine-on-tap vibe, each BOXT wine (the equivalent of four bottles) is packaged in an eco-friendly, recyclable — and quite snazzy — wooden box that keeps the wine fresh for as long as 30 days (but if you’re a wine lover, trust us, it won’t last that long). BOXT is even working with nonprofit One Tree Planted, and has already planted some 2,500 trees since its inception.

“I wanted people to have a high-quality glass of wine without the need to drink a full bottle or risk wasting it,” Puil says of the decision to opt for box packaging versus bottling.

And in another ingenious business move, especially during a pandemic, Puil launched the Austin company essentially as a delivery-based wine club. Wine fans sign up for a subscription and BOXT ships the wine — free of charge — to members’ doorsteps.

Membership prices range from $74-$140 a month and come with a variety of perks, including access to a personal wine concierge at any time. And members can pause, cancel, or change their wine selections at any time.

For Puil, who set out to disrupt the fine-wine industry and upend how consumers feel about boxed wine with her novel concept, the early success of BOXT and the addition of the new Profile Nine rosé are evidence that in the world of wine, she’s raising the bar.

wine sustainability trends

Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.