Marisa Finetti and Kirk Peterson
Yeah, put your pinkies down. We’re talking about wine in cans, and generally speaking, when it comes to drinking – especially wine from a can- it’s a good strategy to not overthink it. Take for example Francis Ford Coppola’s packaging for Sofia Blanc de Blancs, which practically says, “I’m sipping on sparkling wine through a straw out of a mini sized hot pink can, and I’m just going to go with it.”
Oregon’s Union Wine Company markets their Underwood-branded canned wines with YouTube videos that poke fun at oenophiles who over-analyze their beverage.
Paso Robles-based Field Recordings winery packages their wine in tallboy 500 ml cans which recommend drinkers to enjoy by tonight, tomorrow & this weekend.
Finally, the The Infinite Monkey Theorem says their “ridiculously good wine” is made in a back alley of an art district with grapes sourced from the western slopes Colorado. Kind of like the idea that monkeys randomly pounding on a typewriter are capable of producing the work of Shakespeare. We get it.
These eco-friendly, recyclable, portables are the ultimate “take anywhere” beverage, but how do they taste? Here’s a virtual tasting:
1. Union Wine Company – Underwood
Rosé
Comparatively pleasant due to its lack of flavor, akin to drinking slightly fizzy alcoholic rose water.
Pinot Noir
Virtually devoid of aroma, which is notable for a wine claiming to be made from an aromatic varietal. Light, yet quaffable.
Buy: Trader Joes $7/can
unionwinecompany.com $28 4-pack
2. Field Recordings
Alloy Wine Works – Pinot Noir
Lean on the palate and candied on the nose with strawberry aromas that are decidedly Twizzler-like and confected. The first impression is more reminiscent of Beaujolais than Pinot Noir but with a slight chill the wine is pleasant and drinkable.
Fiction Red
This Zinfandel-based blend was definitely one of the best wines of the lineup. Aromas of ripe red raspberry and black pepper supported by a smooth texture and ample concentration of flavor. If you didn’t witness it being poured you probably wouldn’t suspect that it came from a can… which would be a solid gauge of success for a canned wine company.
Buy: fieldrecordingswine.com $30-40 4-pack
3. Infinite Monkey Theorem
Red
What this wine may lack in concentration it makes up for with sheer unpretentious drinkability. Medium bodied and relatively refreshing for a red wine with dark red fruit and suggestions of savory herbs that make this wine one of the better wines of the tasting.
Moscato
With a nose full of peaches and white flowers this sweet semi-sparkling wine basically delivers what it promises: Moscato in a can.
Buy: infinitemonkeytheorem.com, $15 4-pack
4. Sofia Mini Blanc de Blanc
The only sparkling wine of this tasting, it seemingly appeals to a niche “Sex in the City” crowd – wanting a grown up drink. Made of pinot blanc, sauvignon blanc and muscat, it comes in an adorable little can, complete with a bendable straw.
Buy: Target, $17
Like their bottled brethren clearly not all canned wines are created equal but don’t judge a wine by its container, there is real wine to be found in cans if you’re willing to search it out.
This piece originally appeared in VEGAS SEVEN http://www.vegasseven.com