The Truth About Canned Wine: Part 2!

You may remember my recent blog post about my trial of canned wine (find it here if you haven’t read it). The post stirred up a lot of attention, especially because the brand of wine I tried didn’t get stellar reviews in my book. So, I decided to do a “part 2” review of canned wine, this time featuring wines from  California.

I was excited to find that my most recent Wine Awesomeness box featured these two canned wines, which allowed me to get my hands on some cans that are not widely distributed at local stores. Wine Awesomeness also does a great job sourcing quality wines, so my hopes were up before giving these cans a shot! (Check out my full review of Wine Awesomeness here!)

Canned Wine 1: 2017 Antipasto Sangiovese, Paso Robles

This red is fruit forward in flavor, with low tannins and acidity. It emulates a berry jam-like flavor. This makes it an easy to drink wine, and heads above the previous reds I tried from a can! What’s especially interesting about this wine is how it’s made. As opposed to a traditional fermentation process, this wine is made using carbonic maceration. What does this mean? In basic terms, grapes are added to the vats while they are still whole, and the grapes ferment from the inside out. As a result, winemakers can create wines quickly (sometimes in only 6-weeks!). This process also guarantees more fruit-forward flavors in the wine, as opposed to tannic, full-bodied wines produced using traditional methods.

Overall, I would recommend purchasing this wine, particularly if you are a fan of fruity reds!

Canned Wine 2: 2016 Alloy Wine Works Chardonnay, Paso Robles

This chard is both bright and buttery in flavor, and has a wonderful golden hue to it. I was pleasantly surprised to find an almost-oaky flavor upon my first sip, and each sip thereafter just got better. This canned Chardonnay is just as enjoyable as any bottled Chardonnay, and there’s no hint of metallic taste from the can at all.

Alloy Wine Works calls “Tin City” in Paso Robles its home. Tin City is a mini-town of corrugated steel buildings dedicated to all things wine, beer, and cider. It rewrites what it means to go wine tasting, taking you out of the vineyards and into tasting rooms. Plus, it eliminates the reliance on transportation in between destinations. I highly recommend a trip to Tin City if you find yourself in the Paso Robles area!

Overall, Alloy’s Chardonnay gets a “highly recommend” in my book. It’s the best canned wine I’ve had to date!

What are your feelings on canned wine? Let me know in the comments below! Cheers!