Terminology - help please

[Anthea W]

Hi Everyone

I am writing a book about port but I live in Austraia and I'm ignorant of North American terminology, so if anyone can help that would be appreciated. I know you used to have 'jug' wine? Is this word still in use? Do you have flagons (ie 2liter glass bottles) or flagons (same thing). What do you call the 3l or 4 l cardboard boxes where the foil liner follows the surface of the wine down as the box empties?? Can you stillby wine in carafes?? All of these questons are really as applied to port, but wider answers would also be welcomed.

Many thanks!!

[Roy Hersh]

Hi Anthea,

I am happy to help you as I wrote in my early email to you. I just hope that you will at least mention this website somewhere in the book and let folks know it is a fun place to read about Port and share with others. If you would like someone to write a foreward for you book, I'd be willing to do that for you, as long as you do give attribution from materials you find here ... and/or ask for any before using it directly, of course.

Now, to your questions:

I know you used to have 'jug' wine? Is this word still in use?
From mid-1974 to late 1976, I worked in a wine shop in NY. In those days "jug wines" were very popular. They came in various shapes and mostly two sizes and always were glass. A half gallon (about 2 liters) and a gallon (about 4 liters). Often times these bottles had a small handle, very similar (but thicker glass) to what is on a coffee mug. It made it easier to pick up and for some people, they could hoist it up and glug, glug right from the bottle as it was passed around at parties. Gallo, Almaden, Carlo Rossi and Inglenook ... were very big names in this kind of wine, back in those days. Although you really don't see those wines today, at least in that format anymore, now you have Magnums (1.5 liters) of very inexpensive wine. People in the USA still know (but don't really use) the term jug wine.

Do you have flagons (ie 2liter glass bottles) or flagons (same thing).
No this size has never been found here in the USA. 1.5 liters is common though amongst very inexpensive wine, mid-priced and ultra premium wines as well.

What do you call the 3l or 4 l cardboard boxes where the foil liner follows the surface of the wine down as the box empties?? Common sizes are 3-liter, and 5 liters. You can find cases of 4/3 liters or 4/5 liters if you are into that sort of thing. They are called, "bag-in-a-box" on occasion, but mostly just call 'em "box wine" and the most famous brand for this in the USA is by far, FRANZIA.

Can you still by wine in carafes?? All of these questons are really as applied to port, but wider answers would also be welcomed.
My answers above are applied to NON-fortified wines. We never really had domestic Port packed in jugs. I have never seen Port in a box either, at least not sold domestically ... but others here might have more knowledge about that then me. As to wines in a Carafe ... well that was a thing of the past for certain wines with a screw off "jar-type" lid. Today you can find Port already in their own decanters. The most common brand that does this is Royal Oporto, but only with their Tawny Port and some Colheitas. Others have copied them but none are as famous.

I hope that helps you.

[Glenn E.]

Can you still by wine in carafes??

As to wines in a Carafe ... well that was a thing of the past for certain wines with a screw off "jar-type" lid.

I don't really have anything to add to what Roy has told you except for this particular item. I have seen wines sold in carafes before, though not recently. So as Roy said, it is probably a thing of the past at this point. The ones I have seen before had what I can only call a "pop top" made out of some lightweight metal, probably aluminum or possibly tin. In some cases it was a heavy foil, but in others it was more solid and looked more like an actual screw-on lid but actually just popped off. As I recall there were two sizes, probably a carafe and a half carafe.

These wines were pretty low-end, but it was long enough ago that I cannot remember any brand names.

The only bottles in which I've seen Port sold in the US are 750ml, 1.5l, 375ml, and 187ml (which I've only seen once - a bottle of Graham's Six Grapes that I bought in Colorado). I've never seen Port sold in a box or a jug here in the US, but I've only been drinking it for about 5 years.

[Eric Ifune]

You can still find jug wines and carafes; just not in high end retailers. Mass market wines sold by price point rather than any inherent quality. Some aren't too bad.
There are also low end fortified wines. Mainly made with thompson seedless grapes and flavoring. These can be pretty horrid.

[Moses Botbol]

I see plenty of jug wines from Brazil, Portugal, NY, and California available at my local liquor store.

[Eric Menchen]

I see plenty of jug wines from Brazil, Portugal, NY, and California available at my local liquor store.

And I even see jug "port". I use the lower case and quotes as this is not something from Portugal, however. I don't know who is drinking it, but maybe it is a step up from Mad Dog 20/20?

[Moses Botbol]

I see plenty of jug wines from Brazil, Portugal, NY, and California available at my local liquor store.

And I even see jug "port". I use the lower case and quotes as this is not something from Portugal, however. I don't know who is drinking it, but maybe it is a step up from Mad Dog 20/20?

Jug "port" is most likely used in cooking. I do know people who drink Taylor USA and Fairbanks "port", so maybe the jugs are for drinking too?

It would be interesting to swap the contents of these two bottles with a decent Port and see what the reviews would be. It would be filled with something that we recently reviewed, so the notes and score should be the same, right?

[Eric Menchen]

It would be interesting to swap the contents of these two bottles with a decent Port and see what the reviews would be. It would be filled with something that we recently reviewed, so the notes and score should be the same, right?

:twisted: Of course