Think outside the bottle for casual summer wines
I’ve had a transformation. In February, I wrote a blog post on my frustration about drinking wine out of a can. I’m not a wine snob by any means, but lifting a cold aluminum can to my lips — only to have the wine rush out and up my nose — was nearly debilitating. When I drink wine I want to see it, smell it, swirl it, sip it and savor it. From a glass.
Since then, however, I’ve been “canned.”
It started with my daughter, who is 35 and living in Lexington, Ky. On a recent visit, she showed up with several four-packs of 250milliliter cans of sparkling wine. When I mildly chided her, she said, “Dad, get with it.” Drinking wine from a can is convenient, she said, adding there’s no cleanup, fussing with fancy glasses or worries about breakage.
“I like to walk on the patio in my bare feet,” she said. “If I drop a can, I’ve got nothing to worry about except for the dogs licking up what’s left of the chardonnay.”
So we chilled her wine and drank it in the pergola. It wasn’t bad. In fact, Sofia Blanc de Blancs — pinot blanc, riesling, muscat blend — was quite lively, fragrant and refreshing. Movie director and vintner Francis Coppola produces Sofia (named for his only daughter) in California. Blanc de Blancs come in a four-pack of 187 ml. cans (11% alcohol) and sell for $13.99. There is also a rose.
My daughter said canned wines are great for taking to the beach, pool parties and other outdoor events. “No one is looking for elegance at the beach,” she said. “You want to relax and have fun. Get canned, Dad.”
She’s right. There is a wine for every occasion and canned wines offer an option. And what better timing than Memorial Day weekend to suggest some aluminum pours for your beach party or patio pleasure.
Blanc, Brick and Mortar — This effervescent white wine comes in a 350 ml. can ($5.99 each) and boasts a heady 12.5% alcohol level (the average alcohol in a 25ounce, 750 ml. bottle is 12%). It’s got a zesty grapefruit and lime kick to it. (Note: Carbon dioxide in sparkling wines sends alcohol to the brain quicker than in still wines, so drink responsibly.)
West and Wilder Rose — Here’s a charming pinot noir-based rose from California with nice strawberry and peach traits. It drinks smoothly — almost too smoothly — so beware the 12.5% alcohol in each 250 ml. can (three cans equal one regular bottle). A threepack sells for $17.
Bollicini Sparkling Lambrusco — Italy’s Bollicini brand is one of the fastest growing in the U.S. canned wine category. It sells three sparklers — a white cuvee, rose and Lambrusco, which I found to be the more fascinating and flavorful.
Bollicini four-packs (250 ml. cans) sell for $12.99. It’s a good value. The Lambrusco is semi-sweet, fruity and a good pick-me-upper for pizza or barbecue. Plus, it’s got a lower alcohol content (8.5% per can) than the cuvee and rose (11%).