Review: GEA by Root:1 2020 Is a Perfectly Quaffable Boxed Red Wine

This column might not be for wine snobs, but, in deference to those particular oenophiles, I will say this GEA by Root:1 wine, this boxed wine, is perfectly quaffable.

“Quaffable,” for those who aren’t wine snobs, means it is easy and pleasant to drink a lot of it. Drinkable might suffice as a definition, but again, quaffable was a nod to the wine snobs.

GEA by Root:1 2020

Just so the lede isn’t buried, this boxed wine, GEA by Root:1 2020, retails for $24 and holds the equivalent of four bottles of wine. It is Chile’s first certified sustainable winery.

In this 100% sustainable Andean blend is cabernet sauvignon and Pais, Chile’s ancestral grape variety. Just 40% of the wine remained in contact with French and American oak during only four months.

What this wine isn’t is a California cabernet. It actually tastes a bit more old world-style. Though medium bodied, it’s still quite a bit lighter, and far less oaky, than a California cabernet. Super easy to pair with food, it is an excellent table wine.

So, the question one might have is why purchase a simple, easy-to-drink, boxed wine? One answer might be because of its portability — think four bulky and breakable glass bottles, as compared to one relatively small, compact GEA by Root:1 box.

In this case, picnics and larger outdoor gatherings immediately come to mind. But, if one is the only red wine drinker at home, this boxed wine allows you to enjoy a fresh glass of red without worrying about the other three glasses left in the bottle.

Often after opening a bottle of wine, it becomes a game of “beat the clock” worrying about how long the leftover wine will still taste good. But this box, once opened, stays fresh for about two weeks when stored in a fridge.