Price supports rarely benefit small farmers.
Canned
Up until just a few years ago, I never envisioned I’d be selling wine in cans. Because honestly, who thought that would become a big trend?
We’re not averse to alternative packaging; in fact, we’re huge fans of good quality boxed wine. Cost-effective, environmentally friendly, AND it keeps the wine fresh for weeks? Sign us up!
The problem is that ‘good quality’ bit. Because for every excellent boxed wine that we’re happy to carry, there are 30 more that are just horrible. I think I have tasted them all at this point. And that goes double for cans.
Coppola Family Wines introduced their Sofia sparkling wine in cans-with a straw!-in 2003. Slowly, other wineries followed suit, but like boxed wines, some of the selections were…questionable.
According to Shanken News Daily*, in 2015, wine in cans accounted for 6.5 million dollars in sales. In 2016, that figure more than doubled, to 14.5 million. Then came the Summer of Canned Wine. In 2017, domestic sales of wine in cans hit 28 million dollars. We found some excellent selections, but absolutely could not keep them in stock. People went stark raving mad for wine in cans. One customer even bought a whole case over the phone and drove down from New Hampshire to pick it up. Message received. Wine in cans is here to stay!
Needless to say, when I was scouting out this summer’s supply of rosé, I made sure to include plenty of cans. There are still a lot of dubious entries, but we persevered until we found some truly delicious selections. So whether you’re looking for a glass-free alternative for pool or boat, something portable for beach or camping trips, or just a nice fresh single-serve option, we’ve got you covered.
Canned.
* An Industry Newsletter for Wine Geeks Like Me