The Canned Wine Trend
Salvador Jimenez
The wine industry is always looking for the next big thing and canned wine has been quietly growing in sales and popularity. And the quality of the juice? It’s getting better every day too.
What is Canned Wine?
Apprehension to try canned wine was there initially when the Coppola Family Winery launched one of the first canned wines to truly make a splash. But now, tin linings have come so far since then that there is no longer any flavor influence from the vessel. It is pure, delicious juice meant to refresh us during the summers or take with you as a reward at the end of your next hiking trip.
While enjoying it straight out of the can won't effect the flavor profile of the wine, it's important to touch on the fact that you may miss out on the subtleties of the juice driven by the wine's aroma. Since the hole in a can is typically small, the wine aroma doesn't have the same opportunity to hit your nose as it might when poured into a glass.
Related: Why Does Wine Taste Better In A Wine Glass?
Benefits of Canned Wine
The convenience factor of being able to take these canned vinos with you on a picnic without the need for a wine key is a total game changer. The canned wine industry has experimented with different portion sizes over the past 20 years, but the tried-and-true favorite remains the 375mL can - or a half bottle of wine, in other words. But for people just looking for a fresh, single glass the widely available 187mL can is a great option for your next outdoor concert or trip to the beach!
The tin packaging on these can also help the bubbles in your Sparkling Rosé stay fresh, and it will keep your dry Riesling nice and cold too. But canned wines aren’t just for adventures anymore. Pouring your delicious light body canned red wine into a clean glass at home can still allow you to take in all the subtleties of the wine while not feeling like you have to drink an entire bottle.
Canned Wines Available
It is unlikely that you will find a canned Barolo any time soon, but Sparkling Rosés, refreshing Sauvignon Blancs from California, and light body reds like Pinot Noir and Carignan have even begun to rival some bottled wines that you can find on the market. When shopping around for these canned expressions opt for something that will be better with a short chill or perhaps ice cold by the pool.
And fear not of your canned Chardonnay being a buttery, oaked style, as most of the production methods being used by vintners for canned wines will almost never be fermented in oak. Instead expect crisp, mouthwatering stainless steel fermented expressions.
Canned Wine vs. Bottled Wine
Even better, canned wine’s packaging is now completely recyclable when compared to its bottled counterpart. And what about carbon emissions? Well, the packaging in canned wine is about 300-400 times lighter than glass, making canned wine about 75% less carbon emitting than glass, according to carbon emission tracking organizations like Grupo ARCE in Spain.
As an industry, canned wine is certainly not slowing down anytime soon, but if you’re not quite ready to dip your toes into it just yet then simply trying more off-the-beaten-path grapes and refreshing sparkling versions of old favorites is a great step in the right direction.
Cheers!