When it comes to adult beverages in a can, beer is the real supreme and has been for a long time. Meanwhile canned, ready-to-drink cocktails have fostered a cult following thanks to hard seltzers like White Claw. Canned wine, on the other hand, has taken longer to catch on. In 2020, the canned category captured the smallest portion of wine sales at just $200 million, according to Market Watch.
You could say that wine drinkers are traditionalists. They want their juice in a glass from a bottle.
This is starting to change, though. Thanks to trendy packaging, better marketing, and social media campaigns on top of new regulations that allow canned wine to be sold in packs AND individually, and — most importantly — better wine, canned vino is starting to rev up in the U.S. And experts are expecting the category to double in sales this year. Not to mention, more producers are starting to dabble in canned wines, so drinkers are seeing more options in stores (which is thereby push brands to deliver higher quality, etc.)
With so many newbies entering the playing field, we felt now would be a good time to test out a few canned wines and canned wine spritzers. And while all of the wines listed are worth cracking open at the beach or park, some of them were better than others. So we ranked them all and included tasting notes.
If you want to buy them, click the links in the price points below.
Related: The Best Craft Beer Releases To Chase Down This May
10. Gazela
ABV: 9%
Average Price: $3/250ml can
The Wine:
Right in time for summer comes this can of vinho verde recently launched by Gazela. The slim and vibrant can is all too telling of the juice inside, which is equally bright and refreshing with just 87 calories per serving. Not to mention, if you ever need more of it, you can always snag the standard 750 ml bottle, which is similarly comprised of native Portuguese grapes loureiro, pedernã, trajadura, and azal.
Tasting Notes:
This wine smells fresh with notes of citrus and spiky blades of grass. The palate is light, vibrant, and as easy-drinking as a glass of water. You’ll taste notes of sour lemon, lime zest, plus green and yellow apples on the first sip, while a slight effervescence amplifies the fruit flavors in the quick finish.
Bottom Line:
If you like pinot grigio but are looking for something with just a splash more pizazz — and in a can — you can’t go wrong with this one.
9. Fruit & Flower Grapefruit Spritz
ABV: 13%
Average Price: $10/2-pk 250ml cans
The Wine:
This boozy grapefruit-in-a-can hails from Washington state. It’s made with a blend of white wine and natural grapefruit. And though it ranks high on the ABV meter, the alcohol is only noticeable in the effect — not the taste.
Bonus: This brand also makes passionfruit-flavored wine-in-a-can as well as sparkling rosé canned wine that are both also worth checking out.
Tasting Notes:
Pop the can open and you’re greeted with smells of ripe citrus fruits. Drinking this wine-in-a-can is almost like licking a grapefruit and immediately gulping down a glass of pinot gris. No two tastes overpower the other. Instead, the light-bodied wine and grapefruit flavor work in harmony. Although the spritz could have used a bit more spritzing, it’s still refreshing and enjoyable on the palate.
Bottom Line:
What’s great about this spritzer is how balanced it is in taste. It’s a good pick for those who love grapefruit cocktails but don’t particularly enjoy the alcoholic bite.
8. 14 Hands Rosé
ABV: 13%
Average Price: $6/375 ml cans
The Wine:
Now this is grab-and-go rosé. A delicate blend of syrah, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cinsault, and grenache, there’s absolutely no difference between this can and the standard rosé blends made by California’s 14 Hands winery.
Tasting Notes:
This wine is soft on the nose and on the palate. It smells of macerated rhubarb and rose petals while it tastes of strawberries and honeydew melon. Although it’s easy-drinking and glides through the mouth and down the throat with an incredibly smooth texture, this wine has a noticeable body that gets a lift from a spray of citrus in the backend of the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is simply good rosé. Whether you’re by the pool drinking it out of a wine glass or at the park crushing it in a can, it’s going to be satisfying for the senses.
7. Beach Juice
ABV: 13%
Average Price: $7/350ml can
The Wine:
Bright and crisp, this is absolutely the juice you want to drink at the beach, just as its name suggests. The blend of pinot noir, grenache, barbera, and syrah grapes used for this wine comes from the Central Coast of California — in case you needed any more indication that this is a can of rosé you need in your cooler this beach season.
Tasting Notes:
This wine opens up with fruity and floral notes. It’s a total thirst quencher with waves of strawberry and watermelon that drench the palate like a high tide. Then comes a note of cranberry that cleans it all up for a dry and refreshing finish.
Bottom Line:
This is the rosé to cool you down while you’re baking in the sun at the beach all summer.
6. WineSociety — TEMPT Premium Red Blend
ABV: 14%
Average Price: $10/500ml can
The Wine:
One sip of this and you’d never guess this red wine blend of Californian syrah, petite sirah, petite verdot, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon came out of a can. It’s rich with dark fruit and full of body.
It can go toe-to-toe with some of the premium bottles of red wines currently topping store shelves, and it’s got the accolades to prove it. WineSociety’s red blend won a platinum medal at the 2019 International Wine & Spirits Competition, making it the highest rated wine in a can out.
Tasting Notes:
The nose of this wine is balanced with fruit and spice. It’s full and dark with black and red cherries and purple plum flavors. Mid sip you’ll get a kick of ground pepper and velvety tannins— naturally occurring polyphenol in plants, seeds, and fruit skins that influence a wine’s astringency — that stretches out the long finish.
Bottom Line:
You’ll want a stockpile of this red wine in a can at your next barbecue. It will pair well with a saucy rack of ribs, brisket and even grilled chops. WineSociety also makes canned white blend and rosé options to pair with your lighter summer dishes.
5. Ramona Dry Sparkling Rosé
ABV: 12%
Average Price: $20/4-pack 250ml cans
The Wine:
Straight out of Italy comes this sparkling blend of sangiovese and montepulciano. It’s as light as a summer breeze and as smooth as the pebbled banks of Capri. What’s even better is that the folks at Ramona source their grapes from vineyards in Abruzzo that are organically farmed.
Tasting Notes:
This can of wine smells of red berries and cream while the palate is saturated with more red fruit and grapefruit notes. The bubbles on this sparkling wine are the standout. They’re like tiny little needle pins bouncing around vivaciously in the mouth, yet goes down so smooth. The finish is crisp, with a bit of acidity in the end.
Bottom Line:
Now you can take your sparkling rosé on the road without needing a glass or a bottle opener to enjoy it. Doesn’t get any better than that.
4. She Can Sauvignon Blanc, McBride Sisters Collection
ABV: 13%
Average Price: $6/375ml can
The Wine:
This playful sauvignon blanc is just one of the many offerings of the McBride Sisters Collection. It tastes exactly like a New Zealand sauv blanc should: Bright, refreshing, zesty, and tropical.
Tasting Notes:
This wine smells like an oasis of fresh citrus fruit and salty sea air. It’s jumping with flavors of kiwi, lime zest, and melon while notes of lemongrass and meringue dance in the background. Splashes of acidity bring it all together for a memorable finish.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of the McBride Sisters’ bottle-sized sauvignon blanc, then you’ll love this little cutie in a can.
3. Roseade Rosé Lemonade
ABV: 8% ABV
Average Price: $22/4-pack 250ml can
The Wine:
If a bottle of Australian rosé got together with a pitcher of lemonade and had a baby, this would be their lovechild.
For starters, the packaging is on-point. You want to be seen pulling these out of the cooler at the outdoor function. Secondly, the juice inside the can is just as cool as the outside label. And that spritz? Hella refreshing.
Tasting Notes:
You can smell the refreshment on this wine. Yup, the sweet nectar of lemons muddled with sugar is prevelant on the nose, and it all intertwines with subtle fragrances of berries. Notes of lemon and toasted sesame hit your tastebuds on the first sip. All that zesty deliciousness gets a lift from red berries, and everything comes together with crunchy acidity and a thirst-quenching burst of tart in the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is the canned wine you want to show off in all your beach day Instagram pics, and you’ll probably get as many likes from those you share it with irl.
2. Underwood Pinot Noir
ABV: 13%
Average Price: $6/375ml can
The Wine:
There’s a reason why you see cans of Underwood Pinot Noir literally everywhere. Everyone loves it — and for good reason. The folks at Union Wine Co., which produces all the Oregon-grown Underwood wine, set the benchmark for canned wine.
Tasting Notes:
Plum, cherry cola, grenadine. These are the aromas that smack you in the face when you pop the top on this canned wine. The palate is smooth with a bounty of red, black, and blueberry flavors. It’s a light, dry-leaning pinot noir that gets some character from notes of spice in the lingering finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a quality pinot noir that’s worth the price for a canned wine.
1. Modern Mimosa
ABV: 10%
Average Price: $32/4-pack 250ml cans
The Wine:
Don’t you just hate when you order a mimosa at brunch and you receive a flute full of orange juice and a splash of sparkling wine? Well, here’s an alternative: Mayne & Co.’s can of Italian sparkling wine with just a splash of organic California OJ. Honestly, the wine to juice ratio is quite perfect for those of us who actually want to taste the wine in our brunch cocktails.
Tasting Notes:
You can hear those bubbles bubbling when you open this can, and instantly, the nose is flooded with orange aromas. On the palate, the orange juice is subtle, fresh, and a little tart. It blends perfectly with the stone-fruit flavors of the wine. The mimosa is soft on the palate but features some acidity in the finish that gives the whole thing some complexity.
Bottom Line:
Why open your money on a carton of orange juice for those homemade mimosas when you know you only want a tidbit mixed in your sparkling wine anyway? These little cans are truly a proper mimosa pour and deserve a permanent placement in your fridge.
