Canning room?  As in, wine in a can?  You’re joking, right?

Once upon a time, wine came in bottles, sealed with a cork.  At least, proper wines did.  The heresy of the screw-top bottle, well; that might be acceptable for a “fortified wine”--Thunderbird, anyone?--but never for a “real” wine.  Once upon a time, indeed.

Today, with the explosion of wine awareness the industry is currently enjoying, the number of ways proper wines are served to consumers has also exploded.  While the purists continue to insist on a glass bottle and a real cork, there are perfectly good wines that can be opened with the twist of a screw cap.  Taking yesterday’s heresy still further, wines in a box have grabbed shelf space in grocery and liquor stores.  Both individual consumers as well as restaurants that sell wine by the glass appreciate the convenience of being able to dispense small amounts of quality wine without having to drink (or pour out later) an entire bottle.  Many wineries offer small bottles of their products, and some have even take the epic step of selling their product in (gasp!) cans.

The very thought of drinking from a can conjures up images of NASCAR tracks and bass fishing for some, but a recent article in Wine Folly points out some of the advantages of cans:  they are beach-friendly, and recyclable.  Of course, cans don’t shatter when dropped, which is a definite plus for those who want to drink something other than Bud Lite while recreating.

It doesn’t hurt that quite a few of today’s canned wines are actually good wines.  With several sizes available and little or no effect on the taste from the aluminum of the cans noted by the writers at Wine Folly (some come in lined cans, some not), canned wines are an idea that is here to stay.  And truly, when wine-dispensing shoulder bags are considered a hot summer accessory, who can quibble about cans?  It should be noted that drinking straight from the can, according to the article, caused the aroma profile to be “muddled”, which is why the authors recommend pouring your canned wine into a glass before drinking.  Sadly, they didn’t comment on the suitability of the ubiquitous red Solo® Cup as a container, but experience suggests they work just fine.

Deciding to add a cannery isn’t something that every winery should rush to do, at least not this summer.  However, as more and more wineries seek to expand their market niche and customer base, it is one option to consider.  Keep in mind that adding a cannery or other winery remodeling project is more complicated than putting up a pre-fab shed behind your house.  Having a contractor with experience in the wine industry like Sierra View General Contractors can make the process as painless and efficient as possible, even if it’s a new area for your business like adding a canning room.

Now, who wants to pop the top on a can of wine?

Source:

http://winefolly.com/update/the-lowdown-on-wine-in-a-can/  

Image: http://www.core77.com/posts/25833/in-the-details-putting-wine-in-a-beer-can-is-not-as-simple-as-it-sounds-25833