Bottled or canned – in boxes or kegs – how do you prefer your wine? The wine industry is bubbling with new packaging options. Consumers have more choices than ever before.
Last year, canned wine sales jumped 69% to more than $69 million. Compare that to sales of just $2 million in 2012.
I’ve been curious and yes, a slight bit dubious about canned wine. Then I learned of a recent blind tasting of bottled vs. canned wine taking place at Nissley Vineyards in Lancaster County, PA. The event was nearly booked by the time I reserved a spot.
Just a few days later, I was seated at a table, pencil in hand and ready to compare bottled and canned versions of four unidentified wines – three whites and one rosé. Our task as tasters was to check the box beside the sample we preferred. To ensure anonymity and validity, none of the wines for this tasting was produced at the host winery.
Organizers of the event were Dr. Robert L. Williams Jr. and Dr. Helena A. Williams, a husband and wife team of independent researchers who study the emerging market for wine in a can. Their 2018 survey of over 1,000 respondents, aged 21-88, was a ource of information used by Finger Lakes (N.Y.) wine producers in their petition to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to allow wine to be sold in cans of any size.
In their 2018 survey, the researchers conclude that convenience and occasion are more critical factors than wine knowledge or demographic segmentation (e.g., millennials, GenX, baby boomers) in consumer awareness, consumption and purchase of wine in a can. They suggest that canned wine is not a fad, but rather, a new wine category.
Tasting and re-tasting the mini-samples in front of me, I certainly perceived clear differences between the bottled and canned white wines. But I was unable to tell the difference between the two rosé samples. I dutifully checked the appropriate boxes as best I could.
The researchers scooped up our papers and thanked us for participating. They will continue compiling and analyzing the data for a new survey. As for me, I thought, what’s next?
An experiment of my own
On my own, I wouldn’t be able to amass statistically valid proof of anything. But now that I had whetted my appetite for canned wine, I wanted to experiment. What if I could find a wine at the local state store that was available in both bottle and can?
Ta da! Santa Julia Malbec Rosé, Mendoza, Argentina.
Created in 1963 in honor of José Zuccardi’s only daughter Julia, the third-generation Zuccardi family winery has been certified organic winery since 2001. Grapes for the 100% Malbec Rosé are grown in the family’s Maipú vineyards. Hand-picked during the first and second week of March, they are fermented on their skins in stainless steel tanks for 10 days.
I purchased both the Malbec Rosé in a can (released this past February) and 2018 bottle. At home, I poured them side by side and asked the spouse to identify the wine in a can. He looked at the deep, salmon pink in the glass on the left, and noted its more intense strawberry and raspberry aromas and zingy acidity on the palate. That must be the wine in a bottle, right?
Nope!
The canned wine (13% alcohol, $5.99 each) was more intense; the bottled wine (14% alcohol, $11.99 each) was more delicate.
Many factors could account for this difference. I wouldn’t draw conclusions based on this one sample. Suffice it to say I plan to try more canned wines.
Advantages of a can:
- Easy to pack in a cooler for the beach or pool.
- Cans crush and recycle easily.
- A 375-ml. can (half the size of a bottle) is just right for two people.
- Lightweight and fun!
We paired this wine with light summer fare: linguine and sardines in a mix of olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, fresh basil and capers. Delish!
I encourage you to taste-test canned wine yourself – especially if you can find a bottle and can of the same wine to compare. What do you think?