Wine in cans? It’s really nothing new. I encountered my first at a California Wine Fair, back in 2004. The novelty was Sofia from Francis Ford Coppola—a sparkling rosé named for Coppola’s daughter. It came in a cleverly conceived, hexagonal four pack. It did all seem very ‘Hollywood’ at the time. But given the current boom in sales of everything pink and bubbly, you could say the idea was far ahead of its time. Indeed, Coppola was the godfather of wine in cans.
Wine in cans actually predated the cooler craze. Predictably, wine purists reacted to Sofia with pre-apocalyptic horror—much in the same way they did to French Rabbit in a carton. But Coppola pressed on with many a successful sequel.
The category has been on fire in the US and UK for the last couple of years. Hence, it was only a matter of time before it arrived in BC.
However, it does pay to be vigilant. Not all wine in cans is what it appears to be. Some big brands use lower alcohol wines to compete with coolers. But, as far as I can tell, most BC wineries are using wines and styles similar to their bottled products.
A canny move
I’m a big fan of Mayhem—the cleverly named sibling to Meyer Vineyards. The offshoot is co-owned by Terry Meyer Stone, her brother JAK Meyer, and their spouses. Terry and her husband Andrew also own Anarchist Mountain Vineyards. At 520 metres, it’s one of the Okanagan’s highest elevation plantings.
The Mayhem Wines I’ve tasted display excellent varietal character and consistently offer good value. That certainly applies to the current releases. They include a vibrant, fruit-driven Merlot Rosé 2020 (91 pts) and a tropical toned, quite creamy Sauvignon Blanc (90 pts.) The Rosé will definitely make it onto my Rosé Roundup top list, coming soon.
What caught my attention was a couple of Mayhem 250 ml. cans—a Rosé and a Pinot Gris. (A 250 ml. can equals 1/3 of a standard bottle.) The Mayhem canned rosé is different from the bottled wine. It’s Naramata fruit as opposed to Anarchist Mountain. Never mind. It’s equally as sip-able. This rose petal and quince toned drop—a worthy nod to Provence—is already beyond popular. (89 pts) The Gris is apple and citrus-toned, nicely juicy and quite dry. (89 pts.) The current canned batches are close to being sold out, says Terry Meyer Stone. Will they do it again? For sure, she says—and possibly a red to boot.
If you can they will come
Stag’s Hollow GM Erin Korpisto says the winery put its popular Muscat Frizzante 2020 all in 250 ml. cans. It, too, has almost entirely gone—thanks in great part to Save-on-Foods. The winery looks to boost production by sourcing more Muscat for this coming vintage. (Last year’s bottled blend of 49.7% Muscat Ottonel, 45.3% Orange Muscat, 5% Riesling scored 90 pts.)
Korpisto puts its popularity down to part novelty and part convenience. She notes that the pandemic means more people are drinking outside. Also, cans are ideal when you may not want to share an entire bottle.
People love wine in cans
…for many reasons.
• They’re easy to pop into your backpack or picnic cooler.
• Unlike bottles, they don’t break—and they chill more quickly.
• Cans ensure that your sparkler is always sparkling.
• Cans are a tad more ‘discreet’—useful where drinking might not be completely legal.
• They’re more environmentally friendly, lighter to ship and easier to recycle. The standard, 3 litre ‘bag in box’ is likely more economical and arguably more environmentally friendly. But not ideal for sparkling. ;-)
At 250 ml (or, less common, 375 ml) cans offer a convenient, small serving. It’s just enough to share a glass. And maybe mix it up a little with different wines for different courses.
However, you definitely still want to pack along a glass of some kind. No matter how ‘fresh’ the wine is, it’s not Pepsi or even Red Racer. It won’t taste great straight from the can. Above all, you can’t appreciate the aroma. Nor will it land on your palate as intended. For portability, the plastic ‘O’ glass knock-off is your friend.
A few more
Here’s a few other BC wineries using cans…
JoieFarm
A nifty idea, a six-pack of two each of Tiny Bubbles, Rosé and Noble Blend
Easy sipping, off-dry Petit Milo from the Fraser Valley. Single vineyard bubble in an attractive package. Seaside Pearl also has the most convincing list anywhere as to why wine in cans makes sense!
I’m sure, there are others. (Feel free to post in comments.) There’s also no shortage of cleverly branded BC-canned generic product (not yet tasted).
In summary, it’s laudable that most BC wineries are focusing on the can as a quality driven product from a known source. Expect wine in cans to only increase in popularity. Worth considering for your (hopefully) almost post pandemic, near-normal summer.
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