We started hearing about canned wine about ten years ago and while it was interesting, it seemed like a fad. Who was really going to want to drink wine out of a can on a regular basis? Apparently, lots of people.
An article that ran in the New York Times almost two years ago said that the growing popularity of canned wine could be tied to an increasingly mobile generation. We can appreciate a nice wine that’s corked in a bottle, but sometimes, you just want to grab and go. In fact, the idea of wine-on-the-go has even made it’s way over to the original wine snobs: the people of France.
A new start-up in France, Winestar, was created because it’s founder wanted his company to be the “Nespresso of wine,” with its single-serve portions. He knows that not everyone is going to embrace the idea, so he’s marketing directly toward young French consumers who would rather grab something quick and easy to go with their picnic dinners. He knows they’re buying cans of soda and juice not because they necessarily prefer them to wine, but because they’re easier to tote around than a big bottle of Chardonnay.
Not only that, but Spirit Airlines has actually added it to their in-flight drink menu. They are offering canned wine for one simple reason: they’re easier to store on the plane and weigh less. Available flavors during your flight include rose moscato, white moscato, strawberry moscato, peach moscato, original red sangria and original white sangria. All sweet – guess they don’t care about catering to wine drinkers who prefer a big bold red.
If you’re thinking of trying canned wine, but you’re worried about how the aluminum can affects the flavor, don’t worry. These winemakers aren’t just throwing their wine in to any old can. One of the most widely praised methods of canning is an Australian invention called Vinsafe. Vinsafe technology went through thorough research and development and makes it so that none of the aluminum makes its way into the flavor of the wine or ruins the integrity of the product.
Have you tried wine in a can yet? If so, what’s the verdict?
I think this is a fabulous idea. Being from France I can attest to the snobbery. Sometimes I just want a single serving, not an entire bottle. Hopefully this trend catches on to restaurants. I’ll have the peach moscato please 🙂 instead of an overpriced glass of wine in a bottle that has been sitting there for about a week.