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As winemakers around the world have started to embrace boxes and cans, many drinkers haven’t been quite as open to change. Both formats are more convenient to ship and store while still preserving the integrity of the juice inside, and we’re used to seeing beers and ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails and spritzes in the mix.
Why are canned wines still (still!) subject to this surprising stigma?
“There’s been a common misconception that switching over to RTD means lower-quality wine,” admits Althea Codamon, beverage director at Osteria Radisa in Brooklyn. “That may have been the case when they were first rolled out years ago, but producers have done enough research and development over the years to create some really tasty options, preserving the integrity of their juice.”
In the early 2000s giant companies like Francis Ford Coppola as well as Oregon-based Union Wine Co.’s Underwood blew open the category with high-volume, affordable cans made with America’s fan-favorite grapes. (Think Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.) Canned wine’s more recent rebranding and rebirth is largely due to smaller producers who have embraced canning juice made with lesser-known grapes like Barbera, Carignan, and Trebbiano. Codamon recalls that during COVID, her team at Aita constantly served up cans of Love Red from northern California’s beloved natural-leaning producer Broc Cellars. “It was a hit because it was affordable and quaffable, and a recognized producer.”
Quality aside, cans have also become an obvious way to make wine easier to drink and serve, a need that’s never been more top of mind for winemakers who are contending with a generation that seems less into booze, and wine in particular. Jen Pelka, who previously owned San Francisco and New York City’s now-shuttered Champagne bars, The Riddler, knows a thing or two about making wine fun and accessible. “What started as a novelty has become one of the most exciting products,” says Pelka, who co-founded Une Femme Wines. “[It’s] fueled by younger, on-the-go drinkers who want great wine that is practical, eco-conscious, and aligned with their lifestyle.”
Codamon says that the fact that she can stick the whole can back into ice to hold at an ideal temperature is her favorite part about these “patio pounders,” as she likes to call them. Whether you’re a seasoned canned wine drinker or haven’t picked one up since you had a disappointing can at your cousin’s backyard barbecue in 2008, here are six thoughtfully made, stand-out offerings that showcase where the category is at today, and where it’s headed.
Note: Prices vary by retailer and region, and do not reflect a national price.
6 Canned Wines to Buy
Cannetta Vin Rosé, $36/4-pack
These sleek little cans of rosé from Cannetta are made entirely with Grenache sourced from the Ramatuelle region in southern France and prove that sometimes chic branding and delicious wine do go hand in hand. Rosé drinkers who crave something a little more substantial will be pleased to find violet and jasmine on the nose, along with nectarine and peach notes.
Djuce Crispy White, $5/250-ml can, $138/24-pack
Cool-kid canned wine brand Djuce partners with some of the most iconic natural winemakers around the world, from Austria’s Meinklang to Bibich in Croatia. This bone-dry, still white wine from Italy’s central Abruzzo region is the only canned Trebbiano we’ve come across (so far), and its bracing pear, apricot, and jasmine flower notes are so refreshing that it’s unlikely to be the last.
Leitz Out Riesling, $7/250-ml can, $150/24-pack
Leave it to centuries-old Rheingau estate Leitz to have you questioning why more Riesling isn’t offered in canned form. With mouth-watering minerality, balanced acidity, and notes of quince, bergamot, green apple, and jasmine flowers, Leitz Out is perfect picnic fodder. Not consuming alcohol? Leitz’s nonalcoholic canned sparkling Riesling offering is a top-notch alternative.
Une Femme Unoaked California Chardonnay, $7/250-ml can, $72/12-pack
Une Femme offers the perfect antidote for skeptics of buttery, oaked Chard, with just enough body to shine when paired with an acid-bomb green herby salad or ceviche. Expect a crisp canned California Chardonnay packed with lemon zest, lime, green apple, and pear notes.
Broc Cellars 2023 ‘Love Red’, $13/375-ml can, $120/12-pack
The ultimate chilled red, it’s impossible not to fall in love with this jammy combination of spicy Carignan, blackberry-scented Syrah, and a touch of bright Grenache Noir. While it’s the priciest can on this list at $10 a pop, winemaker Chris Brockway makes just over 400 cases each year, which makes these cans well worth stocking up on. As a testament to its quality, Brockway also sells the same blend by the bottle.
Maker Wine Red Blend, $60/6-pack
Red wine can be a more challenging category for canned wines, as some run the risk of tasting “cooked” due to oxidation, or simply bitter and astringent. Made by Lodi, California-based producer J Dusi Wines, this full-bodied blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and Barbera is just the opposite, full of juicy sour cherry and blackberry notes with a tannic but balanced finish.