The By-the-Can Issue
Dearest subscribers,
How skeptical would you be of a sparkling, canned wine called Babe Grigio? I can hear you laughing now, and I get it, I was skeptical too.
But, as a sommelier, I was taught a systematic approach to wine tasting which I and other wine professionals employ so that we can taste and judge wines without biases. Relying on a system rooted in deep knowledge and deductive reasoning instead of snap judgements based on packaging and brand or vineyard names.
I tasted 12 canned wines for this issue, five made the cut. It’s no secret that this is a category rife with low-quality, sugary products with very cute packaging. But things are changing and premium producers are getting into this space with some really fun, and high-quality offerings. So how can one tell if a canned wine is any good?
Whether you’re buying your wine by the bottle, glass, or even the can, here are some quality indicators to look for:
Specific region of origin.
The more specific the location data, the more premium the wine.
A vintage date.
If a vintage year is not clearly visible the wine is a blend of grape juice from various years.
Specified grape varieties
Generally the more specific a producer is about what’s inside the package, the better.
Alcohol by Volume (alc./vol.)
If it’s less than 8% it’s likely to be a wine spritzer which is wine mixed with carbonated water.
Bonterra Rosé
Origin: Mendocino County, California, USA
Classification: Mendocino County AVA
Vintage: NV
Grape(s): Grenache, Shiraz
Style: Dry, medium-bodied, fresh
Price: $29.95 (4 x 250mL cans)
Alc./vol: 13%
As pretty as can be both inside and out. The lovely packaging a foretelling of the gorgeous wine within.
Pale salmon in colour, clean, with faint yet distinct aromas of strawberry and lime that move through to rosewater and saline on the palate.
This is a fresh, delicate, effortless and highly drinkable wine made entirely from organic grapes.
Serve well-chilled alongside poached salmon served with dill sauce and roasted fingerling potatoes.
Stel + Mar
Origin: California, USA
Classification: None
Vintage: NV
Grape(s): Unspecified red blend
Style: Dry, full-bodied, juicy
Price: $4.95 per 240mL can
Alc./vol: 13.7%
Of all the wines I tried for this issue, this one, Stel + Mar Premium Red Blend, surprised me the most. Again, I was skeptical, this time of a red wine in a can. I was immediately surprised by its freshness. Black and red fruit flavours and aromas seemed to leap from the glass - blackberry, red plums, raspberry, blackberry, fresh cherry.
It’s most certainly full-bodied and extra dry with decent tannic structure.
This wine would be perfect for a backyard bbq. Serve at room temperature with any kind of grilled meat.
Stratus Wildass Rosé
Origin: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada
Classification: VQA Niagara Peninsula
Vintage: 2019
Grape(s): Unspecified
Style: Dry, medium-bodied, juicy
Price: $6.85 per 250mL can
Alc./vol: 11.8%
Youthful, pale-ruby in colour, and absolutely bursting with fresh fruit aromas and flavours. Strawberry first, then hard watermelon candy and raspberry.
It’s racy and refreshing on the palate with notes of tart cranberry, sour cherry and rhubarb.
You can buy this wine now, online, directly from the winery. It will also be available at the LCBO in October - just in time for Thanksgiving leftovers. Turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce, anyone?
Charles Baker Riesling
Origin: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada
Classification: VQA Niagara Peninsula
Vintage: 2019
Grape(s): Riesling
Style: Dry, light-bodied, refreshing
Price: $6.85 per 250mL can $27.60 (4x 250mL cans)
Alc./vol: 10.2%
As far as canned wines go, it doesn’t get any more sophisticated than this 2019 Charles Baker Riesling available through Stratus Winery.
A simple, dry, mineral-driven Riesling with notes of fresh lemon, lime zest and crisp green apple.
Simple, sophisticated, if you want to sip like a somm at the beach, the park, or on the dock, bring this!
Enjoy with homemade Al pastor tacos sprinkled with freshly chopped cilantro.
Note, this wine will also be available at the LCBO in October.
Bollicini Sparkling Cuvée
Origin: Tuscany, Italy
Classification: None.
Vintage: NV
Grape(s): Unspecified
Style: Off-dry, sparkling
Price: $4.95 per 250mL can
Alc./vol: 11%
This cute little sparker from Tuscany has a very refreshing fizziness that just won’t quit. Fruit notes dominate in this simple sparkling wine- bruised yellow apple and bosc pear.
Mixing up a little pool-side mimosa? Girls night on the front porch? This is your wine.
Seerve with Lay’s brand plain potato chips or hard salted pretzels.
