Is the world ready for wine in a can?

Diet Merlot anyone?

A few weeks ago the Times (UK) published a story about the proliferation of aluminum cans in the wine world.  Wine can sales are on the rise, and moreover, the can-makers are predicting huge growth.  Let me be the first, (forgetting all of the can industry people who said this before me) to say that I am all about this development.  Single servings of wine in a can?  How could this not be awesome?!

A lot has changed in the wine packaging world recently.  Stelvin closures, glass closures and man’s-most-useless closures, (synthetic corks for you uninitiated) are everywhere.  Moreover, we’re all familiar by now with the “premium wine cask,” (that’s what complete idiots call a cardboard box).  With the exception of shamefully-stupid synthetic corks, these are all pretty useful ideas.  They don’t really hurt the wines they secure, and they offer consumers with options: consumers love options.

But none of these have anywhere near the potential of can-wine.  Part of

Bikinis and beer cans we've seen, but how about bikinis and cans of burgundy?

what is so awesome about beer is that you can have just one.  You’re always free to have more, or less, of your current beverage.  You can’t do that with wine.  Sure, you can go to a restaurant and order a glass of wine, but you’re paying a whole lot more for that wine because the restaurant now has a whole bottle that they may, or may not, be able to use.  Boxed wines have partially solved this issue, but a single-serving packaging format has the potential to make wine into the kind of truly broad spectrum, mass-appeal beverage that beer is.

If canned wine is to succeed, it will have to first pass muster with retailers and restaurateurs.  Assuredly there will be some backlash from some members of the wine community.  Wine is something of a mysterious world, and those of us who live in it professionally can sometimes be a bit overzealous in safeguarding it’s secrets against those we fear might corrupt, or subvert it.  In reality, however, canned wine will never be capable of assaulting the lofty heights of wine’s ivory tower.

Much like boxed wine, these cans will be filled with simple, drinking wines.  They’ll not be age-worthy, nor will many of them be worthy of serious discussion.  That doesn’t mean that none of them will be worth drinking.  If you can find something as like-able as Alandra in a box, you’ll almost certainly be able to find equally tasty wines in cans before long.  Let’s be clear, I’ll kick the first fellow who attempts to put St. Julien in a can squarely in his marbles, and I’ll insult his mother for good measure while he’s rolling about on the floor.  But, if someone fills a can with a delightfully crisp and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc, I’ll buy the very first 6-pack.  That is a promise.

J.

Tags: alandra, boxed wine, cans, marbles, premium wine cask, sauvignon blanc, synthetic cork
Category: The Wine Blog | Comments (1)

Boxed wine is. . . awesome?

Boxed wines are the wine world’s proverbial whipping boys.  While nobody likes to admit that they drink the vino equivalent of, say, Wal-Mart bulk-packaged briefs, it’s clear that a whole lot of people are buying boxed wines.  According to Nielsen, sales of “premium wine casks,” a term for boxed wine invented by morons, exploded in 2007 to the tune of 50% growth.  The last three months of 2008 saw another 30% increase in sales.  This kind of growth means that even fine wine retailers must now begin to take boxed wines seriously.

It’s doubtful, however, that many high end shops are going to simply buy up vast quantities of Franzia.  Wines of that ilk are what gave boxed wine such a poor reputation in the first place.  A higher quality option is required.  Accordingly, many producers are rushing to fill this need for quality square-shaped wine.  And it’s not only new world producers who are getting in on this game.; wine makers from all over Europe are beginning to grasp the potential of this new market.

Europeans have been consuming simple, everyday-drinking wines for centuries, and boxed wines are designed to fulfill this selfsame purpose.  Until now, “premium wine casks” have been filled with mass-produced, poorly-developed swill.  Many of the new imported boxes, however, carry wines that resemble the delicious and oftentimes anonymous carafe wines found in so many European cafes.  One of my new favorites is a Portuguese wine called Alandra.  At $17.99 (that’s $4.50 a bottle folks)  it’s an awesome value, but what’s more, it’s offers a delicious balance of simplicity and likeability.  Whether it’s nestled in your fridge, or held above your head by your drunken friend Bill, Alandra is a wine that won’t make you feel ashamed of it’s square packaging.

J.

Tags: alandra, box wine, franzia, nielsen, portuguese, premium wine cask, wal-mart
Category: The Wine Blog | Comments (2)