Bandit Riesling 2009

By CHRIS and SHERRY HARDIE

In honor of Earth Day, here is a wine featuring one of the new, more environmentally friendly

packages.

Bandit uses Tetra Pak cartons, which are made mainly from paper and contain a full liter of wine compared to the traditional 750 milliliter bottle.

Bandit says the packaging has a smaller carbon footprint and costs less to transport because it is space efficient when folded flat. It also would make a good beach or picnic wine where glass bottles are restricted.

Inside are grapes from Washington's Columbia Valley, which are fermented in stainless steel for a crisp, acidic wine made in a slightly off-dry style. Not bad for wine in a big juice box. (Chris kept looking for the straw.)

Sherry: "Green apple, citrus lime, pear and almond." 3 stars

Chris: "Apple, pear and lime with a hint of peach and a dry finish." 2-1/2 stars

Available locally for about $8.

Coming next week: Ugarte Cosecha