Nuvino Wine Pouches

While tasting the wines from Nuvino packaged in foil pouches, I did not think about Capri Sun as much as I did the space program, and how it felt like the kind of beverage packaging that one would need in zero gravity. That took me back to something I made last year for an April Fools post that I ended up scrapping, but I still like the fake label that I made for a hypothetical wine made on board the International Space Station.

On the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, I found myself sipping wine out of a foil/plastic pouch of the sort that would be very convenient on the ISS or other spacecraft. Indeed, fellow Presbyterian Buzz Aldrin celebrated communion on the moon with a little vial of wine, and of course the Russians have had no problem sending up adult libations over the years. (There was an early idea to provide astronauts with sherry on Skylab, but that got nixed and since then the US space program has had a zero alcohol policy.)

These four wines are packaged in 187mL pouches made by PreservPak and marketed by Nuvino. Each pouch is a single serving and retails for $4, which is a fairly good bargain since you're getting a fourth of a bottle versus the traditional fifth in a glass.

2013 Sauvignon Blanc
Maule Valley, Chile
13% abv.

Clean and mild, gentle Meyer lemon flavors. Round body and a quick finish.

2013 Chardonnay
Cape Winelands, South Africa
13.5% abv.

Light apricot, no oak, mild finish. Really very delicate for a Southern hemisphere Chardonnay.

2013 Malbec
Maipu, Argentina
14.5% abv.

Dominant profile of prune and stewed fruits with a little ash and leather.

2013 Red Blend
Swan Hill, Australia
13.9% abv.

Blackberry and chocolate with firm tannins and a long, lingering finish.

Note: These wines were provided as samples for review.