If you’re at all like me, you’ve been drinking wine out of a bottle, terribly out of touch with reality. Wine in a can is a serious thing now; it’s so hip and trendy that even the Los Angeles Times wrote a piece in September about the wine-can movement.
The beauty behind the wines in some of these cans is that they’re not pulled from random vineyards and bad grapes. Some of the brands on the vanguard of the craft-wine movement are the best in the biz, but they’re hopping on this trend because people aren’t guzzling booze like they used to. So get rid of those extra wine glasses, forget about showing off those somm skills, and start enjoying varietals that work with your on-demand lifestyle.
Here are my top wine-can picks:
Francis Ford Coppola
The best-looking wine in a can that gets my vote for most glamorous is Francis Ford Coppola’s Sofia Mini. Dubbed a “tribute to the romantic, ebullient spirit of women everywhere” and named after the winemaker’s daughter, the California sparkling wine is a 187 ml can complete with a sipping straw. The blend of Pinot Blanc, Riesling and Muscat delivers a refreshing treat featuring subtle apple and pear flavors, finished with citrus and honeysuckle. It’s treated the same as its bottle version, and each single serving can be purchased individually or in a four-pack for $20.
Union Wine Company
Since the overwhelming consensus is that wine in a can appeals to a wider population, Union Wine Company’s Underwood Wines has done a great job of keeping their grapes flashy. One of three wine lines from the Oregon brand, Underwood is the team’s “approachable everyday drinking wine,” available in both a can and bottle. Their 375 ml cans include a Pinot Noir with hints of cherries and chocolate and a Pinot Gris that’ll give you a whiff of peach, grapefruit and pear. And in true can fashion, Underwood offers a signature four-pack for $24.
Mancan
Mancan, a brand whose signature is “Crack one open, whack one back,” easily falls into the “drink anywhere” movement for packaging wine in cans. This new California wine, canned in Sonoma, has earned its shelf space in social hubs like the Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles and the Shelter Social Club. Their blends are sourced from some of the best vineyards in the state to deliver something truly original, including a light white, a rich red and a bright fizz. In San Francisco you can pick up a pop from Brewcade, the Market on Market or the SOMA StrEAT Food Park.
Field Recordings
Praised by wine connoisseurs for a streamlined process that treats can or bottle the same, 34-year-old winemaker Andrew Jones has introduced two lines of wine cans — Fiction and, more recently, Alloy Wine Works. Bottled from some of California’s best vineyards, Paso Robles–based Field Recordings’ wines include the “Tin City” Alloy Wine Works Pinot Noir, a Grenache Rose, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay. Sourcing from a variety of vineyards throughout California’s Central Valley, Jones has a self-described “keen eye for diamonds in the rough,” which has earned his wines (both bottles and cans) the spotlight. The 2014 Fiction red wine comes in a four-pack for $40.
The Infinite Monkey Theorem
Bending Denver’s beer-snob stereotype by producing outstanding wine in an urban setting, the Infinite Monkey Theorem started canning their grapes at peak harvest well before the wine-can trend (a.k.a. 2011). Founder and CEO Ben Parsons, who was recently named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers, has a knack for sourcing great grapes in undesirable locations. The company’s quirky monkey “stamp” appears on every 250 ml can of red, white, Moscato, rose and cider. Enjoy a carbonated Merlot with cherry bursts or a starfruit-heavy white with notes of white peach and citrus. With TIMT, say sayonara to stuffy wine culture and hello to aluminum (and, yes, recyclable) cans for $15.
