Drinking wine out of a can a decade or more ago would have sounded like pure blasphemy (unless you lived in Europe where the stuff has been sold in cans for a very long time). Today, it’s not only encouraged but has its own set of charms. But like any new/ emerging vertical for beer, wine, and spirits, the market is beginning to get saturated. That’s where we come in.
First, a little more context — single serving or half-bottle cans are the perfect backyard BBQ accompaniment and also make for an easy way to split a bottle of wine with someone. Each can is usually exactly one-half bottle. Keep in mind, a can of wine is not equal to a can of beer when we’re talking ABVs (in most cases). Wine has two to three times the alcohol of your average beer. That’s 12 to 14 percent ABV compared to four to six percent ABV for beer. Just be aware of how many cans you’re downing and balance your intake accordingly.
The eight cans below are all wines that are easily available at most liquor stores and online for delivery. This list is by no means comprehensive. There some niche brands out there that are hard to get unless you’re in the region where they’re produced, so we left those off this list. We also left off the spritzers and fruited wines from this list. In the end, these are straight up classic canned wines that taste good, aren’t too expensive, and are accessible to the neophyte wine drinker.
Nomadica Sparkling Rosé
ABV: 12%
Region: Monterey County, CA
Average Price per Can: $6
The Wine:
This wine is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir grapes. The juice spent a year in stainless steel tanks resting. The point of the wine is to have a crisp edge next to the depth of a hefty grape and this one hits that mark.
Tasting Notes:
The bubbles are sharp but not overly fizzy. You really get a sense of the fruit with a lean into tart red juices and a very mild hint of sweetness. The sip is light with a fleeting sense of mineral water and grassy notes, making this one very easy-drinking and refreshing.
Underwood Pinot Noir
ABV: 13%
Region: Oregon
Average Price per Can: $7
The Wine:
This Oregon wine pulls its Pinot berries from all over the state, giving it a real sense of Oregon in a can. The wine is simply designed to be a table wine that you can take anywhere with you. It’s a great outdoors wine, especially when you’re camping out and left the corkscrew back at home.
Tasting Notes:
The dark berries are the star of the show. The sip has an echo of Cherry Coke with a hint of pipe tobacco next to the fruit. There’s a wisp of minerals in the background with a velvet mouthfeel that invites you back for more.
BABE Grigio with Bubbles
ABV: 12%
Region: California
Average Price per Can: $3.50
The Wine:
This very branded wine is probably the most quaffable one on the list. This fizzy white is made quickly and accessibly to be drunk and enjoyed. The smaller format of the cans also means that you need three of these to equal one bottle of wine.
Tasting Notes:
While this wine is on the thinner side, its bubbles pop with a nice dry fizz. There are hints of sweet melons next to plenty of lemony citrus. The sip has a very slight minerality that leads towards the echo of an apple orchard near the end.
Hogwash California Rosé
ABV: 12%
Region: Napa, CA
Average Price per Can: $6.25
The Wine:
This is a winemaker who only makes rosé. That makes this California wine very dialed in and probably the most sippable on the list if you’re a rosé fan. The cans again are smaller, meaning you’ll need three to make a full bottle of wine.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of blooming wildflowers on a late summer day. A distant note of seaside brine cuts through the sweeter fruit and helps the orange and lemon citrus shine. The end is slightly honeyed with plenty of that zest to keep it light. All of this makes it the perfect sipper year-round.
Tiamo Organic Rose
ABV: 12%
Region: Abruzzo, Italy
Average Price: $5.49
The Wine:
This wine hails from the coastal regions of Abruzzo. The wine is made from 100 percent Montepulciano grapes from the village of Chieti and feels like Italy in a can, in a good way.
Tasting Notes:
Wildflowers and ripe, red strawberries dominate the nose. The palate leans into orchards full of stone fruit and pears with a grassy underbelly. The sip ends lightly with a bright crispness supported by all the fruit and florals.
Crafters Union Red Blend
ABV: 13.6%
Region: California
Average Price per Can: $6
The Wine:
This blend of California wines is what you want from wine in a can. It’s not overly done but has enough body to make it worthwhile as a sipper. It’s also very easy to drink, even with the higher ABVs.
Tasting Notes:
Sweet and tart red berries mix on the nose. The taste edges into vanilla territory with a light sense of jam laced with cinnamon. There’s a wisp of dark cacao powder underneath all the berries that offers a nice change of pace.
Dark Horse Pinot Grigio
ABV: 13.4%
Region: California
Average Price per Can: $6
The Wine:
This California wine is a blend of Pinot Grigio, Viognier, and Riesling grapes that’s then blended with an unoaked Chardonnay. The end result is a crushable everyday wine that’s pointedly crisp. The stainless steel aging adds to that lightness without sacrificing the flavors of the grapes involved.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a note of earthiness underneath all the crisp apples, pears, and berries. The sip leans into the fruit while staying light and almost airy. At the end, there’s a very mild sense of butter, adding a nice texture to the wine.
House Wine Rosé
ABV: 12%
Region: California
Average Price per Can: $6
The Wine:
This is probably the most awarded and easily purchasable can of wine on this list. It’s also amongst the best, simply for its drinkability. This can is so popular that House Wine now has 15 different canned wines to choose from with standards like Pinto Noir and new concoctions like the very refreshing Paloma Wine spritz.
Tasting Notes:
Notes of bright florals mingle with ripe berries on the nose. The berries lean towards slightly sweet/slightly tart strawberries with an edge of dried straw. Citrus arrives late to cut through the fruit and bring about a dry and very thirst-quenching end.
