Summer’s cheeriest surprise . . . wine from a can is delicious (and doesn’t taste of tin)

FFor this summer, trendy tipplers will be drinking their wine from a can, too.

The fad began in the u.S., where wine can sales more than doubled last year, according to industry research experts Nielsen. And while they’re only just starting to pop up here, this year has seen more cans of wine on supermarket shelves than ever before.

This week, Waitrose launched a premium organic Shiraz and a rosé from France in cans. And the fashionistas’ favourite shop, Selfridges, has just started selling an English canned wine.

‘Wine in a can is growing at a rapid rate in the u.S. and it’s only a matter of time before this catches on in the uK,’ says Victoria Mason, wine buyer for Waitrose.

So what’s behind the move to cans? Well, from summer picnics to camping, festivals to sporting events, the no-glass-rule isn’t a problem when your wine comes in a can.

rachel Osborne from Off Piste Wines, producers of wine in cans, says: ‘ They’re the ideal convenient format — perfect for any events where glass is not allowed or where you don’t want to carry heavy glass bottles around in your bag.’

Then there are the environmental benefits. recycling experts resource recycling Systems recently reported that aluminium cans are the most recycled drinks container in the world. Their research showed the global recycling rate for cans stands at 69 per cent, compared with glass at 46 per cent and plastic bottles at just 43 per cent. Cans also have a smaller transport carbon footprint than glass thanks to their smaller, lighter, format.

Then there are the practical concerns. Wine chills more quickly in a can than a glass bottle. It’s the perfect size for a single serving, meaning there’s no danger of accidentally finishing off the bottle.

And of course you’re less likely to spill your wine from a can than a glass when you’re on the dance floor . . .

But the real question is about what’s inside the can. Are they any good? Do they taste ‘ tinny’? Or should you carry on reaching for the bottle? Here FEMAIL’s drinks expert Helen McGinn puts the latest releases to the test.

(All of these wines were tasted both straight from the can and from a plastic tumbler to assess them properly. None tasted metallic and the notes below are based on tasting them from the tin.) rOM six-packs of lager to classy commuter favourite gin-in-a-tin, consumers have drunk booze from cans for years. But the latest fashion is enough to make wine buffs choke on their perfectly chilled white.

A crisp taste of English hedgerows The Uncommon, 250ml, £5, Selfridges

FOuNDEr Henry Connell saw the success of wine sold in cans while living in the u.S. Together with his graphic designer friend Alex Thraves they decided to make a really good English wine and put it in a can. using the Bacchus grape, the wine is made at Denbies winery in Surrey. It is carbonated — meaning it has CO2 added rather than having a natural sparkle — so it’s technically a semi-sparkling wine rather than the full English Sparkling. But it definitely gives you a taste of the hedgerows, like so many good English white wines do. It’s beautifully crisp and crunchy with crabapple fruit flavours. Brilliantly packaged with a standout label. 5/5

Gently sparkling and gluggable Pinot Pinot Sparkling Pinot Grigio, 200ml, £2, Tesco

PINOT Grigio is synonymous with Italy. But this one’s thinking outside the box — and the bottle. It’s gently sparkling and simply packaged in striking black and gold. The grapes are grown in Hungary and blended by English Master of Wine Clem Yates. On the palate there’s some nice enough apple-y fruit flavours and a touch of sweetness to round it out. A little too anonymous — it could be from anywhere — but gluggable for the price. 3/5

Pink rosé from a ‘green’ chateau Maris Organic Rosé, 250ml, £3.49, Waitrose

MADE by maverick winemaking Brit robert Eden of Chateau Maris in the small region of La Livinière in southern France’s wine - r i c h Languedoc area, this is a blend of organically grown Syrah, Cinsault and Grenache grapes. In fact, the chateau is so dedicated to sustainable winemaking the winery is made from hemp bricks and doesn’t require any heating or cooling.

This still rosé comes packaged in a bright pink tin but what’s inside is much lighter in colour, more like the reassuringly pale pink rosés of Provence.

And there’s lots going on with the flavours, with fresh redcurrant and subtle raspberry fruits. It’s a properly impressive wine — balanced, fresh and really well made. 5/5

Red berries with a hint of spice Maris Shiraz 250ml, £3.49, Waitrose

ANOTHEr one from Maris, this time a still red made with organically grown Shiraz grapes.

Interestingly the grape is usually known by its French name Syrah when grown in France but here it’s taken its New World name Shiraz in keeping with its modern format.

The wine inside the sleekly packaged can is soft and juicy and joyous, with just-crushed red berry fruit flavours and a gentle kick of spice.

It’s the kind of wine you can sip happily with or without food, as it’s not too tannic or heavy.

Like the Maris rosé, this is suitable for vegans too. 4/5

Sip of cream and strawberries Most Wanted Lightly Sparkling Pink Pinot Grigio, 200ml, £2.25, Morrisons

THE Most Wanted range of wines launched a few years ago in bottles but it’s now available in cans too.

This light pink sparkler is made from Hungarian Pinot Grigio grapes with a dash of Dornfelder, a red grape, to give it its light pink colour.

The resulting wine has a kind of strawberries-and- cream character with subtle fruit and a light sparkle. There’s a touch of peach about it too.

Simple but effective — and very drinkable. 3/5

Fresh, light . . . and unicorns on the label Quello Semi-Sparkling White Wine, 200ml, £3.99, morewine.eu

ACCOrDING to founder and brains behind the Quello brand roberta Sergio, this was the first wine in a can to launch in the uK back in 2015.

It’s a blend of mostly Trebbiano and some (relatively rare) Pagadebit grapes grown in vineyards in Emilia-romagna in northern Italy. It’s made in the same way as prosecco with a second sparkle-inducing fermentation taking place in a tank before it’s packaged under pressure into cans.

It’s light, fresh and floral with a hint of white peach but it’s not nearly as sweet as some prosecco with around half the amount of sugar.

And at just 11% abv, a can of this isn’t going to leave you with a sore head. And you’ve got to love a wine that’s got unicorns on the label. 4/5

Fizz that’ll put a smile on your face Gigglewater Vino Bianco, 200ml, £2.49, Waitrose

THIS is an Italian frizzante (meani n g semisparkling) made from the same grape as prosecco, called Glera along with some Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay too.

Founder Catherine Monaghan decided to name her brand Gigglewater after the American Twenties term for an alcoholic beverage. And with its light sparkle, as well as its fresh, easy- going citrus and pear flavours, it’s bound to leave a smile on your face. So refreshing, not least because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. 3/5