Conveniently packaged wine for outdoors? Yes you can!
Yes, we are The Cocktail Lovers, but that doesn’t mean wine isn’t our thing. On the contrary we love us a glass or two, especially when the sun’s out. And that’s where cans come in so nicely. Better still the choice is pretty good too, with more companies getting in on the act when it comes to canning as well as bottling their wines. Likewise, a glance along the shelves of high street retailers showcases an increasingly good choice – our selection coming from Waitrose and Sainsbury’s alone.
And while canned wine particularly comes into its own in the summer months, that doesn’t mean having to compromise on choice or quality. For the former the hard work has largely been done for you with a good selection of wine styles across the spectrum. As for quality, that’s where cans are delivering big time. It’s easier than ever to find some of your favourite bottled wines now conveniently available in cans for when you’re heading to the park, festivals or the beach. There’s also an ever-growing range of new players too.
Along with convenience, cans make sense in other ways too. You can choose a smaller size so as not have an annoying drop left lingering at the bottom of a bottle. And you can save money into the bargain. Plus, on the environmental side, cans are the most recycled beverage packaging in the world, in fact they can be recycled over and over again.
So for your next picnic, BBQ or any outdoor event (or indeed indoor) we suggest giving the bottle aisle in your supermarket a miss and seeking out some of the great designs you’ll find on show in the can area instead!
Sandrae’s choice #1:
Terre di Faino Primitivo Organic Wine
Need to know:
Ingredients: 100% Primitivo grapes selected from low-yielding, organic vineyards in Southern Puglia, Italy.
Organic. Contains sulphides
250ml. 14% ABV. Price; £3.75.
Available from: waitrose.com
The lowdown:
One word: lush. Actually this wine is my go-to when I want a bottle of something smooth, warming and downright voluptuous. It’s extremely well priced – even better when it’s on offer, as it often is, at Waitrose (N.B. other supermarkets are available) and the fact that it’s available in a can makes it even more fabulous.
This is an organic wine, so it undergoes an exacting process, including the fact that the grapes are not crushed, they remain intact so there’s less chance of damaging the skins, resulting in more intense colour and flavour. Boom!
Shelf appeal:
If you’re a fan of the bottled variety like me, you’ll recognise the distinctive packaging immediately. The bright orange background provides a striking canvas for the skeletal leaf motifs interspersed in the design. It doesn’t fit into either the modern graphic or cool floral design camps that the majority of the canned red wines seem to lean to, instead Terre di Faino stands out for its unstated but confident look.
Appearance and aroma:
It just so happened that we had a bottle of Terre di Faino at home so I was able to judge the can and bottle side-by-side. The result? They look the same – the same intense deep ruby colour, and the same rich cherry aroma. If I’m being honest and this might be controversial, on the nose I get slightly more from the canned version, although this was when poured in the glass and not directly from the can. Either way it looks and smells sumptuous, full-bodied and promises good things to come.
Taste:
The clue to the intensity of this particular wine is the colour. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s full of sensuous red fruit – deepest red and black cherries in particular. There are dried cranberries in there too. It may be a tad on the sweet side for more refined wine palates than mine but hey, I like what I like and I love this wine.
Unlike my other choices which I hadn’t tried before, I’m used to having this one in a glass, from the bottle so I was interested to see how it translates in a can. The answer is, *chefskiss* spot on. None of its cherry redness is lost, neither is its smoothness and intensely satisfying lingering finish.
Verdict:
Can you tell that this gets a big thumbs up from me? I love it! It’s incredibly rounded – juicy even, it has all of the complexity I want from a full-bodied red but it’s not too challenging or precious. A word of warning though: because it is quite heady, I would say go easy with this one in the sun.
***
Gary’s choice #1
Nice Sauvignon Blanc
Need to know:
Sauvignon Blanc. Wine of Spain.
Contains Sulphites
Crisp, dry Sauvignon Blanc.
187ml. 11% ABV.
Available in packs of 12 for £33 direct from nice-drinks.co.uk or individual cans for £2.60 from Sainsbury’s.
The lowdown:
Nice is an independent UK company founded in 2019. The recurring line on the can and all the other products in the range, as well throughout the website is “Pairs well with whatever” and this reflects what they’re all about, “to make picking nice wine easy”. In the case of this Sauvignon Blanc, “Pairs well with the sudden urge to pack your bags, say goodbye and relocate to a beach where it’s pure aloha all year long”. And in keeping with every wine across the range, the character description is simple and unpretentious, “Crisp, dry Sauvignon Blanc.
Shelf Appeal:
Like everything in the Nice range, and the cans in particular, the design is understated and contemporary. Not trying to evoke fine wines and vineyards, instead just clean colours and typography, with a very subtle background image. The colour here being pale yellow with a hint of green signifying the wine itself. The Nice logo is boldly front and centre. And the image is simply a foot in a high heeled shoe resting on a sofa, presumably to suggest the laid back vibe of the brand. One other nice touch, if you look closely, is the dot on the “I” in “Nice” is actually an asterisk. Careful inspection of the can reveals this leads to a small design feature which states “chateau who cares”. Overall nicely eye-catching, unpretentious and playful.
Appearance and aroma:
When first poured into the glass it was a little cloudy, but this soon settled to quite a pale, almost sun bleached straw colour, with a hint of green. There was a little effervescence too. Not the biggest of aromas, but the hint of green in the colour nicely followed through on the nose, with suggestions of gooseberries and green apples. All in all it pointed to perfect summer refreshment.
Taste:
Considering the subtleties of the aroma, this was surprisingly big on flavour. The green fruits were still there, particularly green apples, but some riper fruit too like juicy apricots. Pleasingly crisp it had a lovely long finish which added to the sense of appealing refreshment. Particularly benefiting from being well chilled it was very easy drinking.
Verdict:
Does exactly what it says on the can. This is not a complicated wine for serious moments. Instead it’s a good balance between good colour, aroma and taste, but not taking itself too seriously. A very nice wine and definitely one for picnics.
Sandrae’s choice #2
When In Rome Pecorino IGP Terre di Chieti White Wine
Need to know:
100% Pecorino grapes from the mountainous Abruzzo region of Italy.
Contains sulphides. B-Corp certified; certified by carbon cloud
187ml; 13% ABV; Price: £3.10
Available from: ocado.com; sainsburys.com and asda.com
The lowdown:
When in Rome was founded in 2017 by Brit Rob Malin with one mission in mind – to bring the joy of drinking wine the way Italians do, in the most sustainable way possible. As well as four planet-friendly cans, When In Rome wines are available in boxes as well as the world’s first super-marker listed paper wine bottle.
Ultimately, the company aims to be Net Zero and as such, each of the products is measured for its footprint by Carbon Cloud and only partners with brands that share its values, ethical practices and sustainability initiatives.
Shelf appeal:
This ain’t one of your shy, unapologetic packaging designs, When In Rome wines really do make their presence felt on the supermarket shelf. Is it my thing? Not really but that didn’t stop me from picking it out – more for the ‘planet friendly wine’ line on the front of the can rather than the in-your-face logo.
In some ways the packaging detracts from the mission of the company. Not that B-Corp, vegan-friendly, low carbon footprint and the like should be presented in a boring way, it’s just that you don’t necessarily expect such a contrast. Go beyond the flashy graphics and bright logo and you’ll find that WIR only work with small, independent producers, many of them family owned and their mission is “to decarbonise the wine industry by bringing you high quality Italian wines with the lowest possible climate impact.”
Available in Pinot Grigio IGP Puglia; Primitivo and Rosato canned varieties.
Appearance and aroma:
It’s a white wine, what can I say? Colour-wise, it’s a the pale yellow that you would expect. So far, so ordinary. The aroma is where this Pecorino offers up its personality. Crisp and aromatic it has hints of soft fruit, delicate florals and citrus all rolled into one delicious package.
Taste:
WIR tasting notes talk about yellow pear, apples and sage – I get the sage part but rather than the yellow pear and apples, my humble taste buds pick up apricots, nectarines, mangoes even and possibly orange. If I have to be even more specific, I’d narrow it down to mandarin. But that’s just my opinion – the likelihood is, you’ll get something completely different.
It’s medium-bodied, very crisp, dry, fresh and extremely quaffable – good on its own but even better with food. Which makes it a fabulous picnic wine as it pairs with all the summers faves including cheeses, pasta, salads, white meats and vegetables.
Verdict:
A good all-rounder, definitely recommended for your picnic basket. This was the smallest of the cans I tried and equates to roughly one large glass of wine rather than the two regular-sized glasses the others offer. But I forgive them. Not only is the wine good – the company do good as well.
***
Gary’s choice #2
19 Crimes Red Wine
Need to know:
Red wine from Spain.
Contains sulphides
187ml. 10.5% ABV.
Available in individuals cans for £2.60 from Sainsbury’s, as well as Tesco and Morrison’s.
The lowdown:
Unusually for a wine, 19 Crimes is all about sharing the stories of convicts who received “punishment by transportation” in the 18th and 19th century to Australia. Specifically, the name “19 Crimes” refers to the 19 crimes a person could commit to receive this sentence, including grand larceny, stealing from furnished lodgings, bigamy, stealing a shroud out of a grave and… impersonating an Egyptian. There are currently three cans in the series covering red, rosé and white. Other than a little copy about the idea for the range, as previously mentioned, the main line after the name simply states “red wine” up front, and on the rear of the can that the country of origin is Spain.
Shelf appeal:
This certainly has to be one the most eye-catching can designs around. The main image is a reproduction of an image of a very stern looking man, one of the unfortunate individuals deported for committing one of the 19 Crimes. This carries through with a design device which states “based on real historic events”, together with a QR code to find out more. Along with the simplicity of the clean type stating simply “19 Crimes red wine” the overall effect is a very bold design. Moreover, it’s definitely not what you would expect from a wine, can or otherwise. It has a kind of punk vibe which is also evident on the website. This is one can which it would be hard not to want to examine further when it catches your eye either in the shopping aisle or online.
Appearance and aroma:
Could this red wine be any redder? Very dark and ruby red in the glass, it suggested that things were about to get serious. Quite serious when it came to aroma too. Suggestions of big dark ripe fruit; blueberries, raspberries and blackberries all putting in an appearance. Hints of vanilla too. And an enticing zinginess, like those red fruits had been stewing to go into a pie. All very enticing.
Taste:
Considering the rich colour and bold aroma, the taste ahead promised big flavours. And, yes, it was big, but surprisingly lighter on the palate than expected, and non the worse for that. The sense of those stewed dark fruits was definitely there and very pleasing to roll around the mouth. Quite a long and very dry finish.
Verdict:
Given the generic description of ‘Red Wine’ rather than anything specific, and the brand’s pronounced attitude, this is actually very much a traditional table wine. Whether drinking out and about or in the garden as the sun goes down, this a simple crowd pleaser, and would benefit from just a little chilling ahead of reaching for the ring-pull.
***
Sandrae’s choice #3:
Atelier Mirabeau Prêt-A-Porter Rosé
Need to know:
Grapes: 35% Marsalen, 28% Merlot, 14% Caladoc, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc.
Contains sulphides. B-Corp certified.
250ml; 12.5%; Price: £3.75
Available from: waitrose.com
The lowdown:
Born and bred in the South of France by erstwhile Brits turned winemakers, Jeany and Stephen Cronk, Maison Mirabeau is all about rosé, as well as eight still and one sparkling wine and a dry rosé gin, they also have these cans, or cannettes as they call them.
According to them, Provence is the most magical and exciting place in the world to make rosé, “Our award-winning rosé wines have been crafted from some of the finest sun-drenched vineyards in the region, with excellent farming partners and bringing to bear out widely renowned blending skills.”
Shelf appeal:
If you’re in the market for a quality, rather than an average canned rosé, this one will definitely catch your eye. The elegant, swirly typeface did it for me. That and the way the all essential word ‘rosé’ is proudly stacked front and centre in a low key designer-y way. Speaking of designer cues, the ‘Pret-a-Porter’ wording also gives a ‘this wine is a cut above the rest’ from the shelves and for those who are drawn to colour, the blushing can hints at the delicate hue of the contents inside.
Those are the superficial things. For those who know a bit more about their wines, the name Mirabeau will signify award-winning rosés, crafted from some of the finest sun-drenched vineyards in the region, “with excellent farming partners and bringing to bear our widely renowned blending skills. At Mirabeau, our focus is on creating delectable, dry pink wines, that are a perfect partner to a vast assortment of foods and are diverse enough to be served at any occasion.”
Appearance and aroma:
This isn’t one of your garish rosés, it’s a modest blush of a rosé, i.e. pale, elegant and very, very interesting. In truth it doesn’t give up too much of itself on the nose, well, not to me anyway. However, delving deeper into the glass I get an element of green freshness, with citrus and apricots mingling with strawberries. First impressions is this is a rosé that’s light enough to drink during lunch al fresco but with enough ‘oomph’ to stand up for itself as an evening tipple.
Taste:
Some people like their rosés on the sweet and ‘pink’ tasting side. I am not one of those people. This, however, is my kind of rosé: dry, crisp and adult tasting. And just the right amount.
As mentioned, I’m not a fan of sweet rosé wines and, to be totally honest, even though I prefer mine on the drier, more citrus side, I have my cut off point. So, one can which equates to roughly two small glasses, is perfect.
So what did the job for me? First and foremost, there’s that dryness that I keep banging on about. It has bursts of red fruits too – a mix of tart redcurrants and juicy raspberries in particular. Beyond that, I’m getting bright citrus, which I love.
Verdict:
A top-notch rosé for those who take their wines on the drier side.
***
Gary’s choice #3:
Most Wanted Pale Rosé
Wine from South Africa.
Contains sulphides
Crisp, juicy, fruity.
187ml. 11% ABV.
Available in individual cans for £2.60 from Sainsbury’s and other high street retailers.
The lowdown:
Most Wanted Wines has been around for 10 years with a simple mission to make good wines easily available to everyone. They describes themselves as being “the curator, we bring you the world’s favourite wines for you to enjoy on your own terms”. Very much positioned as a lifestyle brand, the range of cans consists of Malbec, Pinot Grigio and Pale Rosé.
Shelf appeal:
Clean, simple and very graphic. And nothing wrong with that. Big and bold the standout feature on the front of the can is the brand’s strong logo consisting of an “M” and “W” neatly mirroring each other, with the full name nestling in-between. Underneath it clearly states “Pale Rosé” in a delicate pink. The copy on the rear of the can is divided between lifestyle “make it now, make it easy, make it most wanted” and some detail “sauvignon-blanc rosé made with a splash of Mourvèdre rosé”. On a busy retail shelf with lots of products vying for attention the front of the can with its strong logo, and simple wine description, stands out really well.
Appearance and aroma:
Straight from opening the can there was big hit of berry fruitiness in the air. This was nicely amplified as the wine was poured into a glass, and revealed itself as quite rich, almost deep pink in colour which suggests a bit of body. Along with the colour there was also a very subtle hint of effervescence. Back to the aroma, now in the glass, it was surprisingly bold and the hint of berries became stronger suggesting raspberries and strawberries.
Taste:
The character suggested by both the colour and aroma, carried through well in the taste. A full mouth feel and definitely with more intensity than you get from many rosé wines. Again the berries were there, tempered with a slight tartness which added to a pleasingly crisp finish.
Verdict:
Summer often calls for a rosé but can often be a disappointment with many displaying little, if any, character. Not so with Most Wanted. From the clean, contemporary can design, through to an enticing rich pink colour, a big berry aroma, and a crisp finish, this is definitely one for rosé fans to pack on a day out or to have standing by in the fridge for impromptu BBQs and evening Summer sipping.
Check out our low- and no- can picks here and Canned cocktails for when the heat is on
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