Have you grabbed a can of wine lately?
Are you curious about those cans of wine you see at the grocery store or your local liquor store? Are you wondering to yourself, "Are they any good?"
Today I have reviews of two sparkling/frizzante wines in a can. Eufloria aromatic wines. These wines are produced by the same company which makes Pacific Rim Riesling in West Richland, Washington. (see my review: "Pacific Rim 2016 Riesling - Two Styles with Unlimited Enjoyment")
You might ask yourself, "Why would I want wine from a can?" I asked myself the same question. And you might also ask, as I did, "What do they taste like?" Well, I found out.
Why cans?
One of the reasons cans are being used for wine, is that aluminum cans are lighter than glass, and therefore less expensive to transport. Also, aluminum cans take up less space than glass bottles for an equivalent amount of wine. These are 375ml cans of wine, which is equivalent to 1/2 of a bottle of wine. They are lighter and smaller than glass bottles. And aluminum is recycled more than glass (see note at bottom).
Also, this company uses lightweight glass bottles, and a frizzante wine would require heavier, more expensive glass. Not to mention the expensive equipment to bottle fizzy wine. Cans are a less expensive, easier method for holding bubbles.
I'll point out the obvious, aluminum cans require no special tools to open, unlike bottles with corks. They are light and therefore easier to pack and carry, say to the beach, camping or to a picnic. And when the can is empty, flatten and easily carry out.
Younger wine drinkers seem to have no issues with the aesthetics of drinking wine from a can. Some of us older wine drinkers may still have issues. So let's see what I think about fizzy wine from a can. Is it any good?
Note: These wines are produced by Banfi Wines via Pacific Rim Winery. They produce these two frizzante style of wines in kegs! Reluctant to bottle these wines in glass, they decided to put them in cans. The canned versions were announced on May 8, 2018. Learn more.
Eufloria Aromatic Rosé - SRP: $6.00
Note: Label design is inspired by Pacific NW artist, Flora Bowley.
Tasting Notes
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| Eufloria Rosé paired well with a BLT. |
From the Can: Fruity, red berries, nice acid tingle, cherry, light cranberry, tingle top of plate, easy to drink with light herbal note into finish. Pleasantly fizzy. Like.
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| Eufloria Rosé can also be enjoyed from a glass. |
Out of the Glass: Creamy with sweetness, floral, and acid lift. Less on the berries, but fuller on aromatics and flavor, finished dry on tongue. This wine is not intended for drinking out of a glass, but it's good to know it showed well from a glass too. Like.
Served over Ice: Toned down sweetness and floral aromatics, quite fun sipper and also good with a BLT. Okay, I don't recommend serving bubbles on ice. But I won't make too big a deal if you do. Especially if it is a hot day. A glass of crushed ice with this wine would rock! Like.
Thoughts: This wine in a can was surprisingly good straight from the can. It also showed well from a glass and on the rocks. Pretty darn good value here for 1/2 a bottle, out of a can. Pair with savory foods, the BLT was a good match, great way to start the party, or match with grilled veggies or a fresh shrimp salad.
Note: This could be a great way to enjoy a campfire on the beach, cooking crab, clams and grilled meats. Pop goes the can! And no broken glass to worry about. Terrific value at $6.
Recommended
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| Eufloria Rosé on the rocks? Please. |
Origin: Washington
Soil: Wind-blown loess on basalt bed rock
Varieties: Riesling, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Rieslaner, Malbec
Fermented at cool temperatures for 30 days. CO2 allows for a “frizzante” style
Aged 5 months prior to bottling in stainless tanks to retain aromatic intensity
Size: Can 375ml
ABV: 12%
RS: 20.0 g/l
SRP: About $6.00
Sample provided by winery
Learn more about this wine
* Purchase this wine direct from the winery.
Eufloria Aromatic White - SRP: $6.00
Tasting Notes
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| Dressing up the Eufloria with a coupe! |
From the Can: Fresh, citrus, with creamy lemon into the finish, acid tingle top of palate. A lot of acid. Not great out of the can for me. But it showed as a perfect wine for a mimosa. I think out of the can, pairing with grilled spicy prawns could have been a good pairing. It wanted seafood and spicy heat.
From a Glass: Honeysuckle, sweetness, textured with herbal note on finish. Like.
Thoughts: I preferred the white Eufloria wine from a glass, not out of the can. The sweetness of this wine naturally lends itself to pairing with spicy foods. Think Vietnamese, Thai and Mexican. Something with a kick.
Note: The Eufloria aromatic white made a wonderful mimosa. For me this wine is a natural base wine for a frizzante wine cocktail. All you need is a cooler full of ice, stock it with cans of Eufloria, and have a variety of juices, cordials, bitters and garnishes for a fantastic tailgate party!
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| Mimosa baby! Any day of the week with Eufloria. |
Pairing: I grilled a cheeseburger and tried pairing it with this wine. Ended up making the mimosa. Which was then a delicious pairing!
Recommended
Origin: Washington
Soil: Wind-blown loess on basalt bed rock
Varieties: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris
Fermented cold in stainless, CO2 allows for a “frizzante” style
Size: Can 375ml
ABV: 12%
RS: 20.0 g/l
SRP: About $6.00
Sample provided by the winery
Learn more about this wine
*Purchase this wine direct from the winery.
Summary
My personal preference between these two wines in a can, was for the pink wine. The flavor profile was more to my liking and was truly enjoyable straight from the can. The white wine, for me, did not appeal out of the can. I think it is better used as the base wine for making sparkling wine cocktails. And I am a big fan of sparkling wine cocktails. Just remember that when you are drinking these wines from a can, that you are drinking 1/2 a bottle of wine! Enjoy.
About Aluminum Recycling
Aluminum is infinitely recycled and is actually recycled almost twice as much as glass in the United States. The Container Recycling Institute claims that 45% of aluminum cans are recycled versus 27.8% for glass. Aluminum cans also have a lower transportation and storage footprint since they are 13 times lighter than glass: These 375 ml cans (with lid) are about 16 grams (or 32 grams for a 750ml bottle equivalent) while their 750 ml light weight glass (with its screwcap) is about 415 grams.
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Let me know your thoughts on canned wine. Is this a trend that will continue? Have you had wine from a can? Would you like more reviews of canned wine?
Cheers!