54 JUNE 2020
BOTTLE SERVICE
NV SOFIA BLANC DE BLANCS
($5/187 ML.)
When Sofia launched in 2002,
canned wines were practi-
cally unheard of. Things have
changed, but this vivacious, dry
California sparkling wine, with
its green apple and light baked-
bread notes, has not. And thatÕs
a good thing.NV BONTERRA YOUNG RED
($4.50/250 ML.)
Bonterra launched its organi-
cally grown Òyoung redÓ in
bottlesÑitÕs a California take on
a Beaujolais-style wine, light-
bodied, with cheerful red cherry
and cranberry notesÑand now
itÕs in cans, too.ALLOY WINE WORKS
CENTRAL COAST
CHARDONNAY ($7/375 ML.)
This is classic (i.e., old-school)
California Chardonnay done
quite well, full of vanilla notes,
ripe pear-citrus flavors, and
modest acidity.2018 SANS SAUVIGNON
BLANC ($10/375 ML.)
Natural wine in a can? Why not!
SansÕ Gina Schober and Jake
Stover use organic grapes,
no added sulfites, and a lot
of talent to fashion a range of
impressive wines, among them
this irresistably grapefruit-zesty
California Sauvignon Blanc.NV IF YOU SEE KAY CENTRAL
COAST ROSƒ ($7/375 ML.)
Ignore the fairly dopey name
(sound it out), appreciate the
in-your-face tattoo-art label
design, and enjoy the juicy red-
berry flavors and fresh citrusy
finish of this pale pink rosŽ.NV EUFLORIA AROMATIC
ROSƒ ($8/375 ML.)
The slightly psychedelic label
hints at the equally offbeat
blend here (Riesling, Rieslaner,
GewŸrztraminer, Muscat, and
Malbec). ItÕs quirkyÑlightly
sweet, smelling of rose petals
and candied berriesÑbut fun.
Serve it cold by the pool.NV UNDERWOOD PINOT NOIR
($7/375 ML.)
This light-bodied, berry-
inflected Pinot has more
complexity than most people
might ever guess youÕd find in
a canned wine. Light spice and
black tea notes add to the bright
fruit flavors.T NIGHTSHADE IN LOS ANGELES, a 2019 F&W Best New Restaurant, chef Mei Lin’s wine
list features Mei Wine, a yuzu- and guava-scented, Riesling-based wine cooler that
she makes in partnership with Oregon’s Union Wine Co. Mei Wine is lightly sweet
and lightly tannic, and it’s delicious paired with Lin’s Hokkaido scallops in a coconut
vinaigrette. And when you order it at Nightshade, it comes to you in a can. (You get a
glass to pour it into, but still.)
Now just imagine a top restaurant 10 years ago trying to serve people wine in a can.
Things have changed, no question. Canned wines are in. Sales were up 69% in the
U.S. in 2019, and they were up similarly in the past couple of years before that. There
are canned Rieslings and canned Cabernets, canned sparklers and canned spritzes,
$20 cans and $2 cans, cans with cool labels and cans with labels that look like they
were drawn by a horse holding a pen in its mouth. They’re sold in 375-milliliter sizes
(equal to half a bottle of wine), 250-milliliter versions (a glass and a half), and petite
187s (equal to one glass).
And there are good canned wines, believe it or not. But that isn’t to say that all of
them, or even most, are palatable. After tasting dozens for this column, it’s clear that
lots of canned wines have sulfur issues (they smell stinky), and plenty of them just
aren’t very good wine to begin with. But the following picks are perfect for summer:
by the pool, at the beach, after a hike, even on your porch. Pop those tops and pour.A
WHAT TO DRINK NOW
Can-tastic! Wine in cans movesto the top shelf. By Ray IsleFW_0620_BottleService02.indd 54 FINAL 4/15/20 1:51 PM