Wine in a can? It really is a corking idea

WINE buffs still arguing between a screw cap and traditional cork might need a stiff drink to digest the latest alcoholic craze.

Sales of canned wine soared by 250 per cent this year. Robert Fell, of the trade body Can Makers, said the trend was driven by younger consumers who ‘aren’t wedded to the idea that wine has to come in a bottle’. He added: ‘A drink can be taken from the supermarket, recycled and back on the shelves in 60 days. For millennials and new consumers, they are modern and trendy.’ Experts say there’s no bearing on taste.

English wine firm The Uncommon began making canned sparkling wine in 2018 using grapes from Denbies winery in Surrey. It now sells more than 500,000 a year. Co-founder Henry Connell said Britons were ‘open-minded’, adding: ‘There is a perception that because the wine is in a can it’s somehow inferior, so we focus on the quality of the grapes.’

Cambridge rival The Copper Crew launched theirs in July. Co-founder Oli Purnell said: ‘It’s better than opening a bottle you regrettably end up finishing.’