Creative ways to use boxed red wine beyond drinking it

Schlepping has got to be everyone's least favorite idea of a good time when it comes to outdoor dining, and wine is a prime offender. In standard packaging, wine is heavy, breakable, hard to store and either ill-advised or verboten for tailgating and other alfresco activities.

So, the first way to lessen your load is to switch from bottled to boxed wine. The wine industry dislikes lugging glass bottles as much as we do and has upped bag-in-box quality. Even this persnickety palate has found favorites, including:

Herisson Rouge 2022 (Bourgogne Passetougrain AOP) 3 Liter (3L): This Pinot Noir and Gamay blend is silky and soft, bursting with sweet-as-a-berry fruit flavor. Whether enjoyed from stemware or stadium mug, it's a "session" wine for a sunny day into the cool evening, on its own or with casual, outdoorsy fare. I enjoy mine chilled, even with an ice cube. $45 suggested retail at wine boutiques. Distributed by Cream Wine Company, Chicago.

For richer body, ask your wine merchant for From the Tank Vin Rouge, 3L. While not tasted recently, I remember deep, sun-ripened, pleasing tannin and peppery accents. About $50 at wine and liquor shops. Distributed by VineJoy, Chicago.

If these boxed wines are hard to find, ask your merchant for a low-tannin, fruit-forward red, including grapes Pinot Noir or Grenache.

Because a 3L box equals four standard bottles and lasts about a month after opening, you'll have plenty of wine and time to use it in different ways. First, drink it! Next ...

Chill out with sangria: Fruit and wine punch has been popular since ancient Greeks enriched wine with fruit for flavor and nutrition. Today, sangria is a worldwide favorite for gatherings large and small. While premixed offerings are available, your DIY sangria will be rewarded with the admiration of friends and family for its vivid flavor. My go-to recipe comes from "The Spanish Table" by Marimar Torres, a scion of Spain's great winegrowing family and Sonoma County pioneer. Some tips: Your most important ingredient - after the wine - is time. Macerate harder fruits (including apples) overnight; add softer fruit (citrus, stone fruit, strawberries) a few hours before service. Chill all ingredients; to keep the chill, add ice cubes made from your wine (another use for your boxed wine). If your recipe calls for soda water, add it to your punch bowl at the last minute or top off individual servings.

Glow from within with Gluhwein: The ancients named their warm spiced wine "hippocras," after Hippocrates, "The Father of Medicine," possibly because alcohol injects medicinal spices directly into the bloodstream. Germany's version dates to the 1400s and is still a staple at international Christkindle markets. In Great Britain, mulled wine got its big break in 1843, when Charles Dickens featured "The Smoking Bishop" in "A Christmas Carol." You may opt for premade, but recipes are easy and adaptable to your liking. Tips: Don't boil away the fun! Alcohol vaporizes at a lower temperature than water, so heat just to a simmer. Use whole spices (not ground). For richer flavor, toast your spices. If not consumed right away, remove spices to avoid their astringency.

The Chopping Block in Chicago offers these recipes for Gluhwein and sangria at thechoppingblock.com.

Try a little tenderness with wine stew: "Red wine with meat" is more than an adage; it's science. Red wine's tannin binds with fat and protein, tenderizing tough meat. Chuck, brisket and other inexpensive cuts melt in the mouth after braising in wine. Serve with a crusty baguette and translate your beef stew into Boeuf a la Bourguignonne, after France's classic beef stew. The famous French Coq au Vin (chicken stewed in wine) was originally the fate of tough old roosters or cocks. While names sound fancy, these are farmhouse dishes made in one pot from simple ingredients for maximum nourishment of body and soul. My preferred recipe comes from James Beard's "Theory and Practice of Good Cooking." Tips: As a Celiac, I eliminate flour. I season proteins with my family's spice mix based on paprika and refrigerate overnight. Both stews may be made in vast quantities and frozen, awaiting your next tailgate, dinner party or cozy evening at home.

From 6:30-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, join me at The Chopping Block, 4747 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, to savor Festive Fall Wine Cocktails. In this seated seminar, we'll taste five wine cocktails, including Gluhwein and Cranberry Kir Royale, all accompanied by delicious wine noshes. Seating is limited, and registration is required. For details, visit: Festive Fall Wine Cocktails at thechoppingblock.com.

• Mary Ross is an Advanced Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers), a Certified Wine Educator (Society of Wine Educators) and recipient of the Wine Spectator's "Grand Award of Excellence." Write to her at food@daily herald.com.