Summer is my favorite time of year. I love it all — the sunshine, the heat, the lazy mornings with no one to shuttle off to the bus stop, and best of all hanging out in the warm evenings on our back deck with family and friends.

I live in the kind of neighborhood where several evenings a week, we end up congregating on someone’s driveway or patio while the kids play in the yard. At the risk of furthering the stereotype of the wine-toting suburban housewife, yes, there is usually wine involved — not enough to render us irresponsible, but we do enjoy sipping on a glass or merlot or chardonnay while we chat.

Even though everyone is very generous about contributing to the food and wine supply, it does get expensive to buy those 750 ml bottles. I’ve been known to buy a box of wine from time to time, but I usually go back to the bottles because there is so much more selection.

Recently, a company called Tapinfluence that helps connect brands with bloggers invited me to receive a few boxes from Black Box Wines to sample, and who am I to turn down free wine? I happily agreed to see how they compare to the bottles I’m accustomed to drinking. I even invited a few of my neighbor friends to taste test with me.

I was thrilled when I opened the package to find a box of Sauvignon Blanc (my current summer fave). Last I checked, they weren’t putting Sauvignon Blanc in boxes. They also sent a Merlot and a Moscato — another fun surprise.

My favorite, hands down, is the Sauvignon Blanc. You might be thinking, Of course! She already said that is her summer fave right now.  But actually, that makes me more particular because I like it so much and have been comparing many different brands and price points. The Black Box Sauvignon Blanc is pleasant and goes down easily. It doesn’t have the complexity of flavors that some of the pricer bottles do, but it is crisp and clean and has no bite or unpleasant aftertaste.

The Merlot was my least favorite. It fell flat for me, although one of my friends drank it and didn’t seem to mind it.

We enjoyed the Moscato quite a bit. It is very drinkable, with a slight hint of effervescence. It comes in a smaller sized box because you do need to drink it once it’s opened. The other varietals, though, come in 3 liter boxes (the equivalent of 4 bottles of wine) and keep for about a month after opened.

Boxed wine is great to have on hand for cooking purposes (who wants to open an entire bottle of wine to get 1/2 cup for a recipe?) Not that mine ever go to waste, ahem. But still. It’s handy to be able to pour out just what you need for a recipe without having to start a new bottle.

They’re also great for entertaining large groups because you don’t end up with a bin full of bottles at the end of the night. Plus, you can offer several different kinds to suit different tastes, and if they don’t get emptied, they will keep till the next event.

I can definitely see myself keeping a box of Sauvignon Blanc in the house, because that is one we drink a lot with our friends, and it also works well in most of my recipes that call for wine. I would try another red variety to see if I like it better than the Merlot. Overall I was pleased with the quality and value.

Available in ten delicious varietals and two sizes (3L and Tetra), Black Box Wine will have you ready to lose the bottle! Black Box Wines is perfect for all your summer gatherings!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Black Box Wines. The opinions and text are all mine.