The Best Canned Wines To Drink Right Now
These crushable cans are wine’s answer to White Claw.
When canned wine first hit the market, most offerings were saccharine, syrupy, and hangover-provoking. Many tasted metallic: aluminum is volatile and if canned poorly, it will impart a tinny taste to your wine.
A new guard of canned wine producers are making case for sipping these single serve cans, offering natural-leaning, highly-quaffable iterations.
“It’s never a bad idea to keep a can of wine in the fridge,” describes Beth Comatos of Juice Box Beth. “There are two glasses of wine in each can, equating to the perfect amount for you and a friend (or just you if you’re on the thirstier side). Pop a can when you don’t feel like opening a full bottle— the pristine portability makes canned wine perfect for anything from beaches to parks to movie theaters.”
Follow her sage advice and stock your fridge with thirst-quenching options from these above-par producers.
Las Jaras’ “Waves” Red 2020
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“This tart and juicy red blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from Mendocino County, California is a delightfully smooth medley of red cherries and black plums,” says Comatos. “Serve with a slight chill for maximum gluggability.”
Wild Arc’s Rosato Piquette
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Think of Wild Arc’s canned rosato as a sour beer meets raspberry soda: refreshing, delicious, and well-spritzed.
This upstate New York cidery specializes in piquette a zero-waste, low-ABV wine-like beverage made with the leftover pomace from the winemaking process. While piquette is typically lower in alcohol, winemaker Todd Cavallo tops up the piquette with regular-ABV wine to up the proof. $10.99
Ramona’s Ruby Grapefruit Spritz
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Ramona’s Jordan Salcito can largely be credited with reviving the canned wine movement, crafting her signature wine spritzers with organically-sourced, naturally-sweetened ingredients.
The Ruby Grapefruit option is a staple, made from Sicilian Zibibbo grapes spiked with ruby grapefruit flavors and organic cane syrup. A touch sweet, a touch bitter, a little bit citrusy, and a whole lot of refreshing. $4.75
Broc Cellars’ “Love Rosé” 2020
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This new star of alt-California wines combines a deep-purple, super floral Valdiguie with a splash of Trousseau for depth and a hint of Zinfandel for red fruit and spice. For Comatos, this wine drinks like “Pink starburst meets strawberry jolly rancher— a totally dry and completely tasty California rosé. Pour it into a glass and you’ll smell tangy grapefruits, juicy raspberries, and hints of delicate pink flowers.” $9.99
Xarmant’s Txakolina 2020
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Citrus-forward with persistent minerality, “this crisp and slightly fizzy white wine from the Basque Country of Spain is so easy-drinking, you might just need another can,” says Comatos. “Refreshing and acid-driven, it was made to quench your thirst on the hottest days of the year.” $6.99
Companion Wine Co.’s Pinot Gris Skin Contact
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Doreen Winkler of Orange Glou vouches for Companion Wine Co’s canned options. “This is a project by Scott Schultz, the winemaker of Jolie Laide. It’s skin contact wine but lighter in body, with notes of raspberry and nectarine skin. What can I say, it’s super crushable!” $11.99
Old Westminster Winery’s Pinot Grigio Seeds & Skins Maryland
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“Maryland is not known for wine,” says Winkler. “but Old Westminster winery is producing amazing natural bottles well worth your attention. Their Seed & Skins orange wine is medium bodied with notes of candied mandarine zest.” Leaning on a blend of pinot gris and pinot grigio, it’s peachy in color, with lovely notes of stone fruit and a slight herbiness to balance the sweetness. “It’s super juicy.” $10
Underwood’s Nouveau
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Do as the residents of Beaujolais do and reach for a can of meant-to-be-chugged Nouveau-style reds. Electric, brilliantly juicy, Oregon’s new-school Nouveau (it uses Pinot Noir, not Gamay) follows traditional Beaujolais practices of hand-picking grapes and fermenting in whole-clusters under carbonic maceration. $15