It’s safe to say that this is one trend we didn’t see coming–or at least not this quickly. What started as a couple options and a puzzling decision of where to place canned wines in the store, has now grown to an entire section–and counting. Every week we see a new canned wine product, whether it’s Pinot Noir from California’s Central Coast or a wine-based spritzer from France… and the hype is not dying down.
There are a lot of great things to be said about wine in cans. If you’re at all concerned about the environment, the aluminum cans are great for recycling, use less material than bottles, and have a much smaller carbon footprint. If you’re looking for a viable picnic option without having to bring a full bottle with you, canned wine is the perfect solution. Hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, boating, or camping? Tote a light-weight package of booze in with you, and an even lighter-weight package out! Up for a glass or two of wine but don’t want to waste a full bottle? Most cans come in convenient sizes of 375 ml or 250 ml (a full-sized bottle of wine is 750 ml). Presto!
Winemakers have figured out that it doesn’t matter what kind of packaging they use, as long as their product is up to snuff. And for our of-the-moment generations, canned wines are the ticket to a casual-yet-classy wine drinking experience. Check out a few of our old stand-bys and new, fancy favorites!
The Original. Coppola Sofia 4-pk cans. After an initially slow start years ago, this brand is well known and loved—mainly for is shiny, electric pink packaging and crisp, clean taste. Now Coppola has expanded their line—all skinny 250 ml cans—to include their Diamond Collection (check out their Pinot Grigio).
The Hipster. If a hipster is someone who was into something (just barely) before it became cool, then Alloy Wine Works is the obvious choice for this category. Madman winemaker Andrew Jones is a guy who will never be content to rest on his laurels from his numerous other projects, and is always looking to push the envelope and discover what might be “next”.
Our shelves are littered with Alloy products: Alloy Wine Works Everyday Rose and Pinot Noir are your dependable standards, while Methode Aluminum Sparkling Chardonnay and Book Club Sauvignon Blanc (brand-new to the store) are the sleekly-packaged newbies. If you want to transcend wine lines, check out Martian Galaxy – rose wine blended with galaxy hops – or Foxie Spritzer, which is rose blended with mineral water, grapefruit, and simcoe hops. Crazy weird, crazy delicious.
The Spritzers. Speaking of curious blends, our number one stunner for this summer has been Pampelonne. These fashionably slim cans are all sparkling wine-based cocktail spritzers, and the range includes Watermelon Americano, Blood Orange Spritz, French 75, and Rose Lime. The lines have been fully blurred with the advent of these kinds of canned beverages, and our palates couldn’t be more delighted.
The Socialites. Every category needs a premium option—even canned wine. Insert Matthew Allan and Kenny Rochford’s (of Kosta Browne fame) West + Wilder project and Scribe Wine’s Una Lou Rose. West + Wilder makes a white and a rose, and wins the award for prettiest packaging. (Did they contract Anthropologie to design their labels? Possibly.) Their website says that it’s a “great bottle of wine… that happens to come in cans.” Una Lou Rose of Pinot Noir is by far the priciest option on our shelf at $12.99 for a 375 ml can, but that hasn’t stopped sales: people are first intrigued by what a $13 can of rose could possibly taste like, and are secondly taken in by its pitch-perfect summer flavors and aromas. These guys prove that if you start with a great product, you can put it into any kind of container you want. After all, the wine has to speak for itself and back up that pretty face. These cans do that and more.
