Van Ruiten launches canned Pinot Grigio
Winery says fans are snapping selfies as they tote the new canned wine on hikes and camping trips
Van Ruiten Family Winery only released their 2017 Pinot Grigio in aluminum cans on July 11, but they’ve already sold approximately half of their initial 500 cases.
“We’re trying to be innovative, on the cutting edge,” Angie Rogan, Van Ruiten’s co-owner, said in the winery’s outdoor patio on Highway 12 on Wednesday afternoon. “It brings notice not only to our family, but to the Lodi area as well.”
Each can holds 375 milliliters — or two 6.3-ounce servings — and has a retail price of $6.99 per can, she said.
Rogan said her customers have responded positively to the new packaging, sending her pictures of themselves enjoying the canned wine while hiking, camping and paddleboarding, among other outdoor activities.
“We hear from millennials that it’s more environmentally conscious and easier to take a can to the beach or a picnic than a bottle because it’s easier to carry and recycle,” Rogan said.
“It’s a mobile beverage,” added Akaylia Sidener, Van Ruiten’s tasting room manager.
In addition to being more portable than bottles, Rogan said her customers have told her that the cans do not detract from the wine’s flavors of pear, melon and tangerine.
“It didn’t lose any of its complexity, flavor or crispness in the can,” she said.
Although the Pinot Grigio — which has won awards from the San Francisco Chronicle, Wine Enthusiast, the San Francisco International Wine Competition and more — is currently the only varietal they offer in a can, Bill Rogan, Van Ruiten’s co-owner and Angie’s husband, said they may start canning some of their other wines in the near future.
“We haven’t committed to it yet, but we’re thinking about Rosé and Chardonnay, along with Sparkling Rosé as well,” Bill said. “But we probably won’t make that commitment until next year.”
Van Ruiten is not the only winery in the area to jump on the growing canned wine trend. Acampo-based
Dancing Coyote Winery releasing 250-milliliter cans of their white blend in 2016, winning the gold medal for white wine cans at the San Francisco International Wine Competition the same year.
Dancing Coyote could not be reached for comment, but their website shows that they have since released their 2017 Pinot Grigio, 2017 Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2015 red blend and 2016 Pinot Noir in 250-milliliter cans as well.
Bob Highfill, marketing and communications director for the Lodi Winegrape Commission, said he does not know if any other local wineries currently offer varietals in cans, but he has noticed the trend on the rise among larger wineries in the U.S.
“Obviously, each winery is going to do their own thing, but I think a growing segment of the market is the wine-in-acan concept,” Highfill said.