A box of wine with your supermarket sandwich?

The brainchild of a Bordeaux wine merchant, the Tandem range of Tetrapak wine contains enough for two glasses. The makers insist the flavour is not compromised, courtesy of a straw that sprays wine into the mouth of the drinker through five holes.

It comes in red and white; a merlot cabernet-sauvignon and a sauvignon, and is designed to sit alongside sandwiches in supermarkets for drinking "on the go".



The leading merchant Cordier Mestrezat Grand Crus, which sells wine for as much as £2,700 a bottle, is trialling the packs in the Belgian supermarket Delhaize and is hoping Tandem will soon hit the UK. Discussions are underway with supermarket chains Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons.

One expert yesterday gave wine in 25cl boxes the thumbs down. Alan Griffiths, director of wine at the 300-year-old merchant Berry Brothers & Rudd, said: "I don't think it is a hugely good idea. Part of the pleasure of wine is the aroma, the bouquet when you pour it into a glass. If you drink it through a straw you lose that."