Wine in a Can: And So it Begins (again), from Backpack to Book Club
Wine in a can. Remember a decade ago when the big debate was cork versus cap? Simpler times, my friends. Now, we’re entering a new era — Bottle vs. Can — which joins such storied debates as analog vs. digital, Ginger vs. Mary Ann, and Team Jacob vs. Team Edward.
As a category, canned wine has experienced 122.5% growth from 2015 to 2016 making the category a $14–15 million dollar industry already. One of the first to show their can-do spirit was Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s pioneering Sofia Mini, an effervescent blanc de blancs blend that comes in a pink 187 milliliter cans and four-packs in a decorative pink box.
For those whose tastes skew a little less Barbie, there’s the recently launched Backpack Wine, which boasts a Cheeky Rosé and Snappy White that are similarly packaged in the shiny pastels usually see on the foil of those little chocolate Easter eggs.
The pitch is predicated, in part, on convenience: “No corkscrew. No glasses. No hassle.” But three no’s don’t necessarily make a yes. Naturally, cans are also easy to open and recyclable — but so are bottles if you have a corkscrew and a social conscience. The real question, is “How does canned wine taste?”
A man, a plan, a can
I picked up a 500 milliliter can of Book Club, a limited edition sauvignon blanc, circa 2015, created by Field Recordings winemaker Andrew Jones. From the tastefully staid packaging to the delightful Meyer lemon and cat pee contents (if said cat whizzed on an old library book, possibly something by Borges), the whole affair suggests a home-from-his-first-year-of-college pretentious kid brother. You know the one — wise beyond his years but babyfaced and mouthy — whose only real recommendation was that his older sister had good taste in music (and bad taste in men — namely me). $15.
Takeaways: 2015 Book Club Sauvignon Blanc
Enjoy with a picnic of Indian takeout featuring a good curry. Also — analog, Mary Ann, Team Edward, if you have to know.
