Canned wine has come a long way. Once dismissed as a lowbrow novelty or fad, the category’s meteoric rise has transformed it into a familiar presence on retail shelves and restaurant beverage programs across the United States. By now, even the most skeptical industry pros take it for granted that delicious, drinkable wine comes in a can.
With this recent push toward premium status, however, buyers now confront a bewildering influx of new labels to navigate, making it difficult to distinguish between the brands that deserve attention and those that exist merely to capitalize on a trend.
With that obstacle in mind, SevenFifty Daily recently polled a group of top sommeliers, retailers, and beverage directors to highlight which high-quality cans they’re excited to sling this summer. The result? A radically diverse spectrum of options that differ in style, aesthetic, grape variety, and color, but share one common goal: delivering an instant dose of refreshment at the simple pull of a tab. (All wines are listed with price per can at the noted establishment.)
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Artomaña Txakolina ‘Xarmant’ Txakoli 2022, Arabako Txakolina, Spain; $6.99
Selected by Codey Foster, wine director, Ancona’s Wine and Liquors, Wilton and Ridgefield, Connecticut
It’s hard to imagine a better candidate for the canned format than Txakoli, the spritzy summertime staple of Spain’s Basque Country. “This is the house wine of San Sebastian, where it is quaffed locally with a diverse bounty of the sea,” says Codey Foster, the wine director of Ancona’s Wine and Liquors’ three Fairfield Country, Connecticut, locations. A longtime fan of the style, he jumped at the chance to offer this organically farmed example from the Artomaña Txakolina estate in the foothills of the Sierra Salvada mountains. According to Foster, the wine’s “subtle prickle” makes it “a brilliant aperitif, and a perfect accompaniment for casual moments just the same: fried chicken, popcorn and a movie, or simply pool and patio.”
Vinca Minor ‘Moonland’ Sparkling Carignan Rosé 2022, Mendocino, California; $11
Selected by Adam Dunn, co-owner, Dunn & Sons Wine, Yarmouth, Massachusetts
“We love cans because so many folks visiting in the summer spend most of their time on the beach or boat,” says Adam Dunn, the co-owner of Dunn & Sons Wine, who is busy shaking up the Cape Cod wine scene by focusing on “small producers working with minimal intervention in the vineyard and cellar.” Though he stocks a wide assortment of canned expressions, his most recent obsession is this sparkling ode to old-vine, dry-farmed Mendocino Carignan from Vinca Minor’s Jason Edward Charles. “Salty, fresh, and zippy,” with notes of “lemon rind, watermelon, and strawberry,” according to Dunn, it’s what he calls “a perfect summer wine for a hot day on Cape Cod.”
Djuce Meinklang ‘Knusprig’ Grüner Veltliner 2021, Austria; $12
Selected by Jodie Battles, beverage director, JK Food Group, Boston
At Bar Pallino, a speakeasy-style natural wine bar, beverage director Jodie Battles focuses upon producers that share a core ethos of organic farming and low-impact winemaking. That outlook led her to discover Djuce, the eco-focused canned wine project that teams up with sustainably farmed, certified-organic wineries across Europe. Notably, their lineup includes the celebrated Meinklang Estate, which Battles has “regularly supported and showcased throughout our restaurants over the years.” A classic take on the Grüner Veltliner grape, with “zippy citrus, white pepper, some herbaceous notes and a long mineral finish,” this canned effort was a “no brainer” for Battles, who likes to pair it with the bar’s signature Roman-styled fried artichokes.
Licence IV NV, Loire Valley, France; $6.99
Selected by Kilolo Strobert, owner, Fermented Grapes, Brooklyn
To Kilolo Strobert, who owns Brooklyn’s Fermented Grapes, the canned format offers an ideal alternative for customers who come into the shop asking for half-bottles. “As an industry, it was hard to accommodate that request in the past at a price point that made sense,” she says. To the contrary, when it comes to canned wine, she finds that “the pricing, packaging, and quality now make it a viable choice for people that aren’t interested in having more than a glass or two at night.” Lately, she’s stocking this “light, bright, super versatile” example of Muscadet from Licence IV, which offers enough freshness to “keep you cool” during the summer months while still retaining “the presence of fruit that can pair well with heartier dishes.”
Broc Cellars ‘Love Red’ 2022, California; $10
Selected by Kevin Born, wine director, Rich Table and RT Rotisserie, San Francisco
“RT Rotisserie is a casual counter service restaurant featuring rotisserie chicken, sandwiches, and salads where guests can choose to dine in, take food to go, or order delivery,” explains wine director Kevin Born. Given the concept, it should come as no surprise that he’s jumped on the canned wine bandwagon, recommending this classic from California’s Broc Cellars, one of the category’s early pioneers. Bright, crunchy, and full of vibrant raspberry fruit, this is a classic semi-carbonic blend of old-vine fruit, including Carignan, Syrah, Grenache, and a touch of Valdiguié. As Born puts it, “It feels like California in a can.”
Bodkin Wines ‘Where’s Linus?’ Orange Piquette NV, California; $7.99
Selected by Chris Leon, owner, Leon & Son, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Brooklyn
What more powerful testament to the category’s diversity could there be than this frothy, apricot-scented, low-ABV California piquette from Chris Christensen’s Bodkin Wines in Sebastopol? Derived from the rehydrated grape skins of the skin-fermented Viognier he uses for his Where’s Linus? orange wine (created in partnership with Jenny & François), this presents the format at its most avant-garde yet irresistibly drinkable. The can’s experimental spirit perfectly aligns with the progressive, outside-the-box selections Chris Leon gravitates toward at his Brooklyn-based shop. “I immediately think of those first small producers embracing and taking the chance on wine in cans when I think of growers represented in the shop,” he says. When asked about his preferred pairing for this particular can, Leon’s reply is simple: “Prospect Park.”
Cameron Spritz Rosé NV, Willamette Valley, Oregon; $7
Selected by Kelsey Glasser, owner and sommelier, Arden, Portland, Oregon
Having earned a dedicated following over the past three decades for his single-vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, as well as an eclectic mix of Italian varieties, Oregon veteran John Paul produces some of the most thrilling and sought-after wines of the Willamette Valley under his Cameron label. While you’ll find no shortage of those allocated gems on the list at Portland’s seasonally minded Arden, owner and sommelier Kelsey Glasser is just as happy to crack open a can of Cameron’s Spritz Rosé, “a project that [Paul] does just for fun.” A blend of Dundee Hills Pinot Noir with a touch of Pinot Blanc, it’s “the perfect combination of refreshing, crisp, and delightful,” according to Glasser, who says that it “reminds me of wild strawberries, rose petals, and sunshine.”
Nomadica Red NV, California; $5.99
Selected by Sally Stewart, owner, Denver Wine Merchant, Denver
One of the pioneers of the canned wine category, founded by sommelier Kristin Olszewski, Nomadica‘s early mission aimed to change the conversation about alternative packaging in wine and offer drinkers what represented a radical premise at the time: a sustainable, drinkable, high-quality wine in a can. “Nomadica canned wines exemplify the perfect balance of values and taste,” says Sally Stewart, the owner of Denver Wine Merchant and a longtime champion of the brand. “Their sustainably farmed vineyards, free from pesticides, and support for smaller growers in California result in quaffable, refreshing blends of delicious grapes that elevate the canned wine category.” That’s certainly true of the Nomadica Red, a dark-fruited yet easy-drinking California red made entirely from Teroldego.
Les Vins de Vicky ‘Ô Joie’ Fleurie 2020, Beaujolais, France; $8.99
Selected by Christy Frank, founder, Copake Wine Works, Copake, New York
As a concept, the canned wine “lends itself to lighter, fresher styles,” says industry veteran Christy Frank. While this can pose a risk for certain reds (generally, prominent tannin and oak don’t do the format any favors), Frank calls this bright, berry-like Gamay from Miss Vicky Wine a “perfect match” for the packaging. Remarkably, it’s sourced from 70-year old vines in the cru-designated village of Fleurie, historically famous for producing the most delicate, ethereal reds of the Beaujolais region. “This is exactly what a Beaujolais should be,” says Frank. “It’s all crunchy red fruits with a hint of earthiness to give it some sneaky complexity for anyone paying attention.”
Dispatch
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Zachary Sussman is a Brooklyn-based wine writer whose work has appeared in Saveur, Wine & Spirits, The World of Fine Wine, Food & Wine, and The Wall Street Journal Magazine, among many others. A regular contributor to Punch, he was formerly selected as the Champagne Louis Roederer Emerging Wine Writer of the Year. He is the author of The Essential Wine Book (2020) and Sparkling Wine for Modern Times (November, 2021) from Ten Speed Press.
