Yes, We Can

Community, Drink, Featured, Summer 2020 – Issue 28

Strolling through the aisles of my local grocery store a few years ago, I came to a screeching halt when I saw what appeared to be canned wine, rows and rows of canned wine, in fact, from producers I knew and loved. “What’s going on?” I asked myself. “When did Tangent start canning wine?”

Because I like to think of myself as open minded, I purchased a few to take home and taste. And so began my deep dive into researching (i.e., tasting) every can of wine I’ve come across in the last few years. All of the ones I enjoyed from producers in San Luis Obispo County were delicious, which shouldn’t be so surprising as this area is well known for high-quality wine.

Prejudice against anything without a bottle and natural cork runs deep in the wine community, however. Only in the last 10 years did consumers begin accepting that high-end, delicious wine can indeed come from a bottle with a screw cap, let alone a can. Things began changing once Millennials reached the legal drinking age, and the market evolved to meet their demands. Whereas boxed wines will likely forever be associated with cheap, bulk wines like Franzia, canned wines are considered hip, cool and, more practically, portable.

James Schreiner, vintner and co-founder of Porch Pounder, a wine brand that exclusively cans wines, further explains this. “There’s so much room to play around with canned wine; aside from being easier to recycle, cans are currently more economical — which allows us to keep the focus on quality.” Porch Pounder Co-founder Paul Quinn agrees, adding, “As one of the first producers of canned wine, our goal has always been to share the convenience of cans with quality wines sourced from local vineyards.”

Gina Hildebrand, known for her wine label, Lady of the Sunshine, is also keen on making quality wine more accessible via cans, and has partnered with Companion Wine Co. to can her sauvignon blanc from an organically farmed vineyard in Edna Valley. Gina finds that fragrant white wines do well in cans. “You can still have an experience with the aromatics of the wine, even if you are sipping from the can. Especially with a fragrant variety like sauvignon blanc, you won’t miss out on a piece of the sensory experience.”

Gina, Paul and James also agree that canned wine is perfect for anyone leading an active lifestyle. “It’s relaxed and easy to crack a can on the beach, camping, around the pool or on your porch,” says Paul. “No muss, no fuss.”

“I love taking canned wines out on the boat when I go play in the ocean or go fishing,” says Gina, “because they are easy to pack and we don’t have to worry about glass.” She finishes with a statement I’ve thought about often since talking with her. “Wine is about so many things, but mostly it is about celebrating time with friends and having fun. Canned wine provides a more casual approach to that.”

Since discovering canned wines myself, I wondered frequently over the last few years if these producers could, indeed, make wine more accessible by packaging it this way. As I sit on my back patio, sipping a can of pinot noir from Alloy Wine Works and watching the sun set over my little garden, it seems that I have my answer … Yes, they could. And did.