A bottle of wine is one of the world’s great pleasures — the smooth glass, the pleasing heft, the iconic shape — but it’s not always the right container for the job. The glass can shatter, the heft can weigh down your travel cooler, and that iconic shape doesn’t always fit so easily in your bag.
Fortunately, a packaging revolution has arrived in the wine world. This summer when you’re chilling by the pool, heading to the beach, or stocking up for camping, consider these alternatives.
Flickerwood Wine Cellars, a family-run winery in Kane, PA, produces ZAMP, a line of wines in cans. Their tagline is “the wine that rocks” and the original winemaker is a renowned drummer, and a can is ideal for an outdoor music festival or jam around the campfire. Pick up some of their Pinot Grigio or Sleepy Hollow Red (a sweet blend of Concord and Niagara), or mix it up with Wildberry, a blackberry wine, and Kid, a blend that incorporates the flavors of pineapple and pear.
Grandview Vineyards is looking out for its customers on-the-go by putting its wines into small, shatter-proof, plastic bottles. These can be thrown into a backpack or small cooler alongside a wheel of cheese and a bunch of grapes. Their Diamond Dust, which comes in a four-pack, is a semi-sweet sparkling wine made using Riesling, Moscato, and Vidal Blanc. It’s something special for a celebration, and the winery will even print up personalized labels.
Franklin Hill Vineyards is thinking outside the box, taking the bag of wine out of its traditional cardboard home. Their 1.5-liter pouches (that’s equivalent to two bottles of wine) are incredibly portable. Beach Bum is a sweet white with added coconut flavor, giving it the taste of the islands, whether you have your feet in the sand or just want to feel like you do.
University Wine Company is tapping into one of the biggest trends of the day — wine slushies — with their bags of U-FREEZE WINE SLUSH. Featuring enticing flavors like Sub-Zero Sangria, Polar Peach, and Choco-Chill, these icy treats will take your next party or at-home happy hour to the next level. It’s also an excellent choice for a tailgate: Just freeze at home, toss into an insulated cooler, and serve alongside juicy burgers and spicy seven-layer dip.
Paradocx Vineyard gets creative with its packaging, offering up three-liter paint cans filled with some of their top-selling wines. To go with the theme, they tap artists to design the colorful labels. If you’re looking for an on-the-go wine made from European varietals, this is an excellent option: pick up (using the handy handle!) a can of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Whitewash, a white blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Vidal Blanc.
Arundel Cellars & Brewing Co. in Lake Erie Wine Country has decided to take the snack pouch in a decidedly adult direction with their High Key brand. The ideal wine delivery system for outdoor adventuring, concerts, and the ballpark, these portable, lightweight wines come in three flavors: a sweet white, a semi-sweet rosé, and a dry rosé. A built-in straw makes the sipping even sweeter.
Allegro Winery is putting its wines into lightweight, light-protected cans. You can snap up a four-pack from their Rave line — carbonated versions of the winery’s popular Harmony and Punk sweet wines — at your local grocery store. It seems the can revolution is spreading throughout PA Wine Land. In addition to Allegro and Flickerwood, you can find canned wines from Dalvino Wine Company and Nissley Vineyards — and by the time you read this article, even more might be popping up.
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