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Of American-English origin, the humorous, colloquial noun cardbordeaux (also cardboardeaux) designates bag-in-box wine—i.e., inexpensive wine that is sold in a plastic or foil pouch, with a spigot through which the contents can be poured, packaged in a sturdy cardboard box.
This noun is a blend of:
– the noun cardboard, in reference to the outer packaging of bag-in-box wine;
– the noun Bordeaux, in reference to the wine made in the Bordeaux region of France.
Therefore, the portmanteau cardbordeaux (also cardboardeaux) is based on the contrast between the noun cardboard (which alludes to inferior-quality, cheap wine) and the noun Bordeaux (which alludes to superior-quality, expensive wine).
—Synonym of cardbordeaux (also cardboardeaux): the humorous, colloquial expression Chateau Cardboard.
—Cf. also:
– the humorous, colloquial expression Château Plonk, which is used of wine, especially of cheap wine of inferior quality;
– the humorous, colloquial expressions chateau tap-water|Château-la-Pompe, which liken tap-water to a grand cru.
These are, in chronological order, the earliest occurrences of the noun cardbordeaux (also cardboardeaux) that I have found:
1-: From Urban Dictionary, s.v. Cardbordeaux—as quoted by Ron Rollis in the column Seen & Overheard, published in the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio, USA) of Saturday 21st October 2006 [page D3, column 1]:
“Cardbordeaux: Wine that is packaged in a collapsible (usually plastic) bladder with a tap inside a cardboard box. Sneered on by oenophiles, but happily consumed by those such as middle-class housewives who were beer-drinkers in college. And possible Boone’s Farm drinkers in high school. But it’s not as sweet. A favorite of Sara Wiggum, mother of Ralph and wife of Chief Wiggum on The Simpsons, Cardbordeaux is generally inexpensive compared to bottled wine, but more expensive varieties are coming out as its popularity increases.”
—Martha Hardcastle Guthrie
2-: From the caption to the following ‘Pluggers’ cartoon, by Gary Brookins, published in the Kentucky New Era (Hopkinsville, Kentucky, USA) of Friday 23rd May 2008 [page B9, column 1]:
PLUGGERS
WINE INNA BOX
A plugger’s favorite wine:
Cardboardeaux
3-: From Box and screw top wines gain respect, by Gus Clemens, published in the Standard-Times (San Angelo, Texas, USA) of Wednesday 29th May 2013 [page 1D, column 6]:
Big Wine embraces screwtops and bags in boxes because they are easier and cheaper to manufacture and deliver higher profit margins.
Neophyte oenophiles and greedy wine factories, however, are not the whole story. Opened boxed wine stays fresh for weeks, but research also shows unopened plastic-bag wines spoil faster than glass-bottle wines when exposed to heat.
And box economics don’t work as well in standard 750 mL and 375 mL bottle sizes as they do in 3-liter and larger offerings.
Not game-changers, but clear reasons glass isn’t going away.
[…]
Tasting notes (all generally available):
[…]
Hardys Shiraz SE Australia. Plum, berry, full-rich fruit; restrained oak, soft tannin; generic Aussie shiraz in 3-liter box; nice value. $18
[…]
Last round: Boxed wine is not supermarket plonk; it is a fruit-juice box for grown-ups. And the correct name for boxed red is Cardbordeaux, thank you.
4-: From the following ‘Reality Check’ cartoon, by Dave Whamond, published in the Calgary Herald (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) of Monday 17th November 2014 [page D7, column 1]:
REALITY CHECK
“LET ME GUESS… THERE WERE NO CLEAN WINE GLASSES…”
BOX O’ WINE
CARDBOARD-EAUX
“JUICE BOX FOR ADULTS?”
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