Our Editors Tested 35 Canned Wines and These Are the Best
We tried some of the most popular canned wines on the market and picked our favorites for summer sipping.
Canned wines changed the day-drinking game for oenophiles like myself. I'm no longer limited to beer and plastic cups full of vino during the summer. Now, from the pool to the beach to the lake, my favorite varietal (ahem, rosé) goes where I go.
In addition to the obvious benefits of canned wine — portability, single-serve, not breakable — it's also 100 percent recyclable thanks to the eco-friendly aluminum packaging. Plus, aluminum provides a complete barrier to light, meaning the wine's taste isn't compromised from light exposure.
With so many canned wine options to choose from, I requested input from my fellow editors to help me narrow down the best ones for warm-weather sipping. Here are the winners!
Not only did Babe Rosé with Bubbles win in the sparkling rosé category, but it consistently recieved the highest praise throughout our tasting. Editors couldn't get enough! I overheard comments like, "We're all going out to buy this one," and "This one is perfect. It's exactly what a bubbly rosé should be."
BUY IT: Drizly and Total Wine, price varies
Runner Up: Lila Sparkling Rosé
Although Babe recieved the most glowing reviews, editors also loved Lila's sparkling rosé. Tasters said it was light, refreshing and the perfect summer sipper. Available for purchase at Ninety Plus Cellars.
Reviews were mixed for this one, but overall it came out on top in the still rosé category. Some editors thought it was flat while others thought it was just OK, but still an easy-drinking wine for summer.
BUY IT: Drizly and Total Wine, price varies
Runner Up: The Infinite Monkey Theorem Rosé
While we weren't fans of the can ("It looks like an energy drink."), editors said it was sweet and tasty and would pair "great with a perfectly styled patio." Available for purchase at Drizly.
One of the first varietals ever available in a can, Coppola Vineyard's Sofia Blanc de Blanc is always a safe choice. The cute, miniature can (It comes with a straw!) makes it very portable and Instagrammable. We thought it was refreshing, light and "the perfect amount of sweet and dry."
BUY IT: Drizly and Total Wine, price varies
Runner Up: Dark Horse Brut Bubbles
With tasting notes of lemon and apple, some tasters thought this one was too sweet while others found it dry and representative of a classic sparkling white. Available in store only.
None of the reds we tasted wowed us. (It's hard to produce a good red wine in a can.) Plus, reds are a hard sell in the summertime heat, but our editors approved this can of pinot noir from Francis Ford Coppola Winery. It has strong tannins and an acidic, astringent mouthfeel, but tasted "smooth and spicy - in a good way," as one editor put it.
BUY IT: Total Wine, price varies
Runner Up: Underwood Pinot Noir
Balanced, light and fruit-forward, our editors gave this red high marks, too. Tasters said it was sippable, full-bodied and "the perfect party drink." Available for purchase at Union Wine Co. or Drizly.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
This one won over everyone. It's a sparkling wine mixed with elderflower, Meyer lemon and juniper. We all agreed it was well-balanced, refreshing, cute and, most importantly, totally sippable. Or, as one editor put it, "This is what sitting on a sunny patio surrounded by flowers in 80-degree weather tastes like."
BUY IT: Drizly, price varies
Also worth a call-out is this riesling radler from Union Wine Co. Our editors appreciated the beautiful can (we're design-obsessed, afterall), and thought it was the ideal refreshing drink for a hot summer day. Hops dominated the flavor, which initially shocked us since it is marketed as wine. One editor's observation sums up our thoughts perfectly, "Beer drinkers would love this one!"
BUY IT: Drizly, Union Wine Co. and Total Wine, price varies
