Photo: Cherie Kirkner
Like boxed wine and canned cocktails, public perception of canned wine isn’t always favourable. Over the past few years, however, the exponentially growing category has burgeoned, with a good collection of excellent canned wines now readily available as canning technology continues to dramatically improve.
Moreover, canned wine is also better for the planet and delivery services, as opposed to glass bottles, with a carbon footprint that’s generally 80 percent lighter than glass. Most cans are infinitely recyclable. Canned wine also tackles the issue of waste, ideal for those hoping to drink just a glass or two, rather than opening an entire bottle.
Featuring a range of high quality wines from small-batch independent winemakers, Kiss of Wine was born from an ethos that you shouldn’t have to open a whole bottle to enjoy a great quality, artisan wine. Kiss of Wine’s launch collection comprises eight single-varietal canned wines, including a 2019 Provence Rosé, 2019 Sauvignon Blanc from The Loire, and two Italian reds (a 2016 Nebbiolo and Dolcetto) from Piedmont, Italy. All wines are also specifically chosen for their acidity and freshness, best suited to canning. Produced in Rheingau, the Kiss of Wine Sparkling Zesty Riesling is drier than typical of German Riesling – delicate and fruity with high acidity and light carbonation.
Kiss of Wine is available from kissofwine.co.uk, TheDrinksShop.co.uk and Feel Good Grapes in packs or as a subscription service with prices starting from £3.60 per can.
The UK’s first producer of English sparkling wine in a can, The Uncommon’s range of 2019 vintage sparkling wines includes two English wine spritzers. Specifically designed to thrive in cans, the brand’s wines use locally-grown grapes, hand-harvested within 50 miles of The Uncommon’s Peckham home, from vineyards in Surrey, Kent and Hampshire. Alongside the new English wine spritzers, 2019 vintages include a blend of Bacchus and Chardonnay, and a Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier blend rosé. Both are vegan-friendly and low sugar, with the grapes benefitting from a cooler growing season, ultimately producing wines that are more refreshing, aromatic, and fruity. The Bacchus and Chardonnay blend is a particular highlight, rampant with aromas of elderflower which continue on the palate alongside savours of pear, grass, and a whisper of gooseberry that lingers on the long, clean finish. Ideal for warm summer days.
The Uncommon English sparkling wines and spritzers are available from Selfridges, Waitrose, M&S, and online from wearetheuncommon.co.uk.
A new canned wine brand, HUN was launched in May 2020. For their range of premium wines, HUN has partnered with vineyards in South Africa’s Stellenbosch region, producing wine that’s the canned in the UK. In addition to the brand’s SA Pale Rosé, low abv (5.5 percent) SA Sparkling Rosé, and SA Sauvignon Blanc, HUN has launched a brand new alcohol free sparkling white, made using South African Chenin Blanc grapes, plus a SA Shiraz. A medium-bodied Shiraz blended with a touch of Malbec, the HUN SA Shiraz 2019 is spicy with vanilla oak presence, offering a round mouthfeel and medium mid-palate weight.
HUNis available from hunwines.co.uk, Tesco, and Amazon.
Introduced earlier this year, DEFY’s organic Italian white wine is now available in 250ml slimline cans, launched with hopes to challenge the snobbery that often surrounds good wine, ultimately putting lots of people off. To put this into place, the company defies conventions to bring good quality, organic wine to the modern consumer; delivered in convenient and sustainable packaging. Made in Abruzzo, using locally grown grapes, the DEFY Organic Italian White Wine is vegan-friendly and Soil Association certified in the UK. Typical Pecorino minerality and bracing acidity are prevalent, plus some tartness which lingers on the crisp, dry finish.
DEFY Organic White Wine is available to order from the brand’s website.
Founded in the US, BABE was one of the original canned wine providers, launched by Josh Ostrovsky. Hoping to offer casual canned wine that makes quality wine accessible to everyone, everywhere, for any occasion, BABE is a semi-sparkling wine available in rosé and white variants. The white, a Spanish Moscatel, is a medium-bodied wine with citrus and apricot savours, while the rosé is a French Grenache rampant with berry flavours. A refreshing wine for any occasion. Both BABE wines are also vegan and gluten-friendly
BABE is available from Sainsbury’s, priced from £2.15 per can, or available to buy as a mixed pack from their online store, starting from £27.
RELATED: The best beers from all 24 countries competing in the UEFA Euro 2020
