Wine in Cans: Is it Coming? (finally)

Alternative wine packaging has been talked about for several years. From boxes like Tetra-Paks to cans there's been a largely unsuccessful push to get away from the 750 ml glass bottle. But maybe canned wine is about to take off.

In 2016 the dollar value of wine in cans more than doubled from the previous year though still a small percentage of the market.

A decade ago Francis Ford Coppola came out with what was a novelty item of Sofia-labeled wines in cans. This past summer Trader Joe's released a brisk selling line of canned wines. There are benefits cited like single servings, lighter weight, recycling, etc.
     

Craft beer selection

  
The real reason wine in cans may finally take off? Craft beer in cans. In case you haven't noticed beer from smaller brewers is found in cans as much as in bottles. The big guys like Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas and Samuel Adams finally started making canned beer, too. And people seem to love the convenience of the package as long as the quality is there and it is with the newer can technology.

However, remember that the wine industry is pretty conservative/traditional. Corks have been the standard seal for wine bottles for over two centuries when there are better stoppers available. The 750 ml glass bottle no longer needs to be the normal wine container, but we'll see if better packaging actually gets a big piece of the market.