8 of the best boxed wines to try, and no, Franzia didn't make our list

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Bandit; Bota Box; House; Vin Vault; Alyssa Powell/Business Insider

• Boxed wines go far beyond the Franzia that probably first comes to mind.
• While boxed wines can't compare to traditional fine wines, they're a great option for serving big groups on a budget, taking on camping trips, or just for the casual wine drinker who enjoys spreading out glasses over a long amount of time.
• I recently taste-tested and compared several varieties and brands of boxed wine and detail my favorite options below.
• Read more: The best canned wines

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When you think of boxed wine, there's a good chance that the first thing that comes to mind is the college days of head-ache inducing Franzia. The sickly sweet Fruity Red Sangria option made a frequent appearance at college parties I attended for good reason: it can serve a crowd and it's extremely budget-friendly.

That's true of most boxed wines. As certified sommelier and wine expert Alisha Blackwell-Calvert notes, "In a party or picnic environment and in a chef's kitchen, boxed wines have proven to be a fuss-free addition."

Not to mention that they're popular with campers since they're more packing- and environmentally-friendly than their glass bottle counterparts. Many boxed wines will keep for 30 days to six weeks after being opened, which is great for anyone who likes to have a casual glass at a time without needing to worry about having a bottle go bad.

With those benefits of boxed wine in mind, I set out to discover if Franzia was really as bad as I remembered (it was) and if there were better options I would actually enjoy sipping on (there are!). Blackwell-Calvert also gave me some handy tips on what to look for in a boxed wine to get me started.

While I'm no sommelier myself, I've done plenty of wine tastings over the years both in-person and virtually, plus I've taste-tested my way through a good number of canned wines. And, if we're being honest, no real wine snobs are putting wine boxes in their cellars, so most boxed wines are made with casual wine enthusiasts in mind anyway. I enlisted the help of my fiance and some friends to help me taste-test on a (socially distant) outing to a nearby park where we sipped and compared a range of options to choose our favorites.

• Bota Box
• Bandit
• House Wine
• Chateau Montaud Provence Rosé
• Vin Vault
• Viña Borgia
• Waterbrook Two Ponds