The 5 Best Boxed Wines for Under $20 from Walmart—Perfect for the Holidays

Serving wine at a holiday party can invite errors. The corkscrew gets lost. Corks get pushed into bottles because someone doesn’t know how to use the corkscrew. Those cute buckets of ice aren’t so cute when the ice melts and the white wine becomes lukewarm. The expensive bottles of wine you hid for a special occasion get drained by your father and brother-in-law because your husband doesn’t know anything about wine (true story).

Let’s face it, if you’re going to serve bottled wine, things can get messy, especially, if as a host, you’re tending to a million other things. Fortunately, there’s a simple answer for this problem: boxed wine.

As a wine expert and writer, I can attest that the quality of boxed wine has gone way, way up. And as a frequent party host, I promise that boxed wine will solve many of your entertaining-related conundrums, including saving money while still serving great wine. 

I get well-priced boxed wines at Walmart. Here are five of my favorite picks you can serve this holiday season. They’re all under $20 per box.

Sweet White: Franzia Moscato

This white wine is light, sweet, and delicate. It’s delicious and goes down quite easily, with aromas of peach and apricot, and while it’s sweet, it’s not cloyingly so. It’s a great wine to sip while nibbling cheese and charcuterie.

The box contains 6.7 bottles of wine, so if you’re looking for something smaller, Walmart sometimes carries Barefoot Wine Moscato in 200-milliliter, four-pack boxes. They’re perfect for tossing into a cooler filled with ice if you want individual servings. 

Dry White: Bota Box Sauvignon Blanc

Bota Box is one of my absolute favorite boxed wine producers, and this is a great option if you like Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a light and refreshing Chilean Sauvignon Blanc with notes of lemon, lime, and grapefruit.

At 12.5% ABV (alcohol by volume), it’s much drier than a Moscato. Serve it with a shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon appetizers, or anything with goat cheese. A box of Bota Box is equivalent to four bottles of wine.

Dry Pink: Black Box Rosé

This isn’t your granny’s rosé. At 13% ABV, this pretty pink wine is dry and refreshing, with light aromas of berries and peaches. It’s great paired with seafood and meat at the same time. It pairs especially well with salmon, pork tenderloin, and berries of all kinds. A box of Black Box is equivalent to four bottles of wine.

Sweet Red: Franzia Chillable Red

This red isn’t labeled Lambrusco, but that’s exactly what this tastes like. It’s a chillable Italian red wine with a touch of effervescence, and it goes down so, so easily.

This wine, which has bright, sweet notes of cherries and berries, is made for sangria. Pour it into a pitcher filled with fruit, a touch of orange liqueur, and brandy for a traditional sangria, or add some Fireball and cinnamon for a winter sangria. A box is equivalent to 6.7 bottles of wine.

Dry Red: Nighthawk by Bota Rich Red Wine Blend

This red wine is rich and jammy with aromas of dark currants, cherry jam, and oak with enough tannins to give it structure—it’s oh so smooth. It's made for steak and prime rib roasts, and it pairs beautifully with dark chocolate truffles.