11 minute read
canned wine
It’s in the can
It’s a format that has usually promised more than it delivers. But with two independent wine merchants now involved in their own separate projects, perhaps it’s time for canned wine to take its next step towards critical acceptance.
Advertisement
Report by Claire Harries
Kate Goodman of Reserve Wines broadens people’s horizons because they in Manchester and Ben Franks at feel more confident to buy things and Novel Wines in Bath are both avid experiment a bit – otherwise they just stick supporters of canned wine. So much so to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. that they have recently launched their own “These innovations just make it more projects, each setting out to prove this accessible. For me that is a massive part of small-format option is capable of evolving our job as independent wine merchants. far beyond just a convenient packaging We are there to show people and put in solution. front of them the vastness of the many Goodman has collaborated with Richard options and choices that are out there.” Kelley MW at Dreyfus Ashby to create First Crush, a range of four wines in a can including a rosé, an Albariño, a Chenin Blanc and a Syrah. They are working Ben Franks, who started the Canned Wine Company with Simon Rollings, says: “The biggest change in the with Francois Haasbroek and Jaap Pijl at canned wine market is the renewed focus Renegade Wines in South Africa. on the quality. When Simon and I got “It all goes back to the fear factor when together to put the idea into practice, we family in Niederösterreich. Franks is also people are choosing a wine,” explains thought there was nobody at the time keen to introduce, subject to successful Goodman. doing it on a high quality level. testing, varieties such as Verdejo, Gamay, St “They don’t want to buy a full bottle if “We got all these interesting grapes Laurent, Nerello Mascalese and maybe an they are not familiar with it and they’re and really good winemakers and thought, English Bacchus. not confident they are going to like it. It’s why not put those in a can and make it an “At Novel Wines we like the weird and the same reasoning behind Enomatics exciting way to drink better wine without wonderful and I had been talking about and my keg wines and having to buy the bottle? And we can canning Furmint and all those lovely all those things. If we use it as an upsell into the quality wine lesser-known grapes,” he says. have smaller-format world rather than purely as a convenience “It’s been a massive learning curve options and get people product.” because you can get away with quite a lot Ben Franks to taste things before To date the Canned Wine Company range in a bottle that you can’t get away with in a they commit consists of four wines including a new can. A can is oxygen-free and it’s nitrogen to bottles, oaked Viognier from Laurent Miquel in the capped and the wine isn’t going to change it just Languedoc and a Grüner from the Huber once it’s in the can – you have to be really
Stellenbosch and Franschhoek
Stellenbosch and Franschhoek
There are four wines in the Canned Wine Co range
careful about acidities and residual sugars.
“There are also issues with metals and linings so there is a lot of technical analysis that needs to go on before we can, which doesn’t really exist with bottling wine in the same way.
“Sauvignon Blanc has a one-in-nine failure rate in can at the moment because it’s reductive and reacts with the linings in most of the cans. There’s a lot of Sauvignon in can on the market but it’s not particularly reliable.”
Goodman has seen success, with the First Crush range flying off her own shelves and being a hit with the delis and cafés she supplies. “They do well in those kind of places where they might not want to open loads of bottles and they find the canned option is brilliant,” she says.
“They don’t take up loads of fridge space, and people can share a can or have one big glass and there’s no wastage. I know that Richard [who has the same range under the Dreyfus Ashby label] is selling his line to a Michelin-starred restaurant as well as other merchants. We haven’t pursued that route so far, but we have partnered with a wine subscription service that just uses cans.”
Franks says that, while a number of merchants and independent outlets sell his canned wine, he does understand some of the reservations that wine retailers might have.
“There are two hurdles, really,” he explains. “One is when people say they already have a can and they see it as one product ticked off. I can empathise with that because even at Novel we only stock the Canned Wine Co.
“Even though I see the potential, the market is still new so there are not that many people coming in and asking for a can.
“The second hurdle is that some people are just averse to the format because it’s not traditional and it’s too much of a leap for them.
“I do understand where they are coming from because the canned wines that are widely available are so poor from a technical point of view. It’s where bag-in- box was about 10 years ago.”
Goodman is optimistic about the continued growth and popularity of canned wines. She says: “If you look at the States they’ve gained a lot of momentum there and there is a real breadth of wines being put into can. It’s exciting and I just want to build it up.
“Francois and Jaap are super-passionate about it and we want to continue to work with them.
“We’re also selling cans from other people, not just our own range. It feels like there is a bit of movement and people are more open to it. It’s all very positive.”
Franks adds: “The real pinnacle would be to do a sparkling but the only way to do that in a can at the moment is to carbonate it and I don’t want to do that. Now, if we could find a way to ferment sparkling in tank and then can it without it exploding …
“I would say we are playing a lot. We are top-end, very quality-focused and enjoying playing with the different grape varieties, doing lots of research and development, and the indies are the kind of people who will respect that fun and point of difference.”
Kate Goodman
First Crush is a hit with delis and cafés
Daniela Pace with a bottle of Le Argille
A Tombacco tour of Italy
From Chianti Classico to orange wines and a Veneto blend packaged in a concrete bottle, Tombacco has something to offer for any independent wine merchant with an interest in Italy.
Last month The Wine Merchant gathered a selection of indies to try the wines – imported by Vintrigue Wines – for themselves
Italy’s Tombacco group makes premium wines at numerous locations in the country. Its mothership Rinomata Cantina Tombacco in Padua showcases the grape varieties of central and southern Italy, while the smaller Trevisana and 47 Anno Domini sites focus on the local grapes and traditional winemaking processes of northern Italy.
Sommelier Daniela Pace, who works with the company, took a group of Wine Merchant readers on a virtual tour of the wineries and their wines, all of which are available through Vintrigue Wines.
Archivio Pecorino 2017, £12
“Pecorino is mainly cultivated in the centre of Italy in the Abruzzo region, where this comes from. It’s an early ripening grape, with some sweetness, and rich in alcohol. Abruzzo is a cooler region, exposed to winds from eastern Europe, but the climate is dry and has a large diurnal shift which is great for the concentration of acidity. The entry is quite soft and there’s an interesting minerality on the finish.
“In the last century many local grapes were disappearing. The turning point in Italy was the 1990s when there was a new approach to wine production. It became less about quantity and more about quality.
The wine sparked a discussion between indies about the increasing popularity of Pecorino. Cat Brandwood of Toscanaccio in Winchester said: “Pecorino absolutely is recognised [by consumers] now. The similarities with grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio are helping to sell it to people. The packaging on this one is lovely. Nice price, too.”
Marco Gavio Chianti Classico DOCG 2017, £17.50
“This is from the centre of Chianti Classico, at higher altitude but where it is warmer than the east, and with soils that are rich in fossils. This produces more dominant tannins and wines with an interesting savoury character.
“Sangiovese is a marathon runner, not a sprinter like Cabernet Sauvignon. Its acidity is very important, and it has to be integrated perfectly with the tannins, which takes time.
“This is barrel-aged for 12 months, but in 50hl casks instead of stainless steel or barriques. It’s the new wave in red winemaking in Italy to use bigger barrels.
“This vintage was one of the hottest in Tuscany and it’s important in hot vintages, if you want to produce a quality Chianti Classico, to have the right level of alcohol. In this we have 14% abv, so there’s a perfect balance between the alcohol and the tannins, and between the bitter and the sweet sides of the wine.”
Le Argille Cabernet di Cabernet 2017, £40
“This is made at 47 Anno Domini and is a 50-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from Veneto.
“There are about two centuries of Cabernet production in this area – so we can say that they have become traditional grapes.
“The aim is for really juicy fruit, a deep colour and soft silky tannins. It’s 15% abv which we achieve through over-maturation of the grapes on the vine. About two months before harvest, we clamp the wine branches to reduce the water supply and get more sugar concentration in the grapes.
“The wine is aged for two years in concrete vats which means no oxidation and it keeps the wine fresher. Concrete vats are becoming more common, but we started with them 10 years ago, so we were pioneers.
“Argille means clay and the soils are rich in clay in this region. It comes in a concrete bottle which expresses this idea of the softening of the tannins and freshness from ageing in concrete vats. It arouses immediate interest from consumers.
Origine Bianco, IGT Terre Siciliane 2016, £30
“Cristian Tombacco was inspired by Alessandro Gallici, a leading winemaker in the orange wine tradition of Sicily. It’s made through a red wine vinification of white grapes, with a maceration of the skins that produces an orange, amber, gold colour.
“It’s a combination of Cataratto, which gives an acid shoulder to the wine; Zibibbo, which is a local kind of Muscat of Alexandria, a sweet and aromatic grape, tied together with Grillo, which, along with Cataratto, is one of the main grapes used in Marsala. It is made on the western side of Sicily between Agrigento and Marsala.
“It’s a long, long process; it takes about three to four years to make this wine. It’s made in clay vessels that were used by the Greeks and Romans to make wine.
“When tasting, the nose needs time to open because it’s so intense, but it has a combination of honey and some citrus notes – and balsamic hints that Italian wine is famous for.
Simon Briggs
Great Grog, Edinburgh
“The Pecorino and Chianti Classico were both excellent in a more straightforward ‘classic’ fashion – the Chianti Classico perhaps more generous and riper than expected due to the hot vintage.
“The other two were certainly more intriguing to the jaded wine merchant!
“We actually list the Origine Bianco but it was great to try it again, with its honey and lemon menthol and resinous rosemary wafts, plus tangy oxidative orange bitters and marmalade fruit. The freshness on the palate perhaps was the real surprise, hiding the chunky abv well. A real gateway drug for those looking to dip the tongue, so to speak, into orange wines.
“It’s different every time you raise the glass to the nostrils.
Feature sponsored by Vintrigue Wines For more information, visit www.vintriguewines.com
