Aluminum cans offer benefits such as appealing to eco-conscious consumers, requiring minimal storage space and being extremely portable.
They are becoming increasingly popular with wine drinkers, and its growing presence on wine shelves is not a trend that’s likely to change after packaging options for wineries in all 50 states recently expanded.
Following a late December announcement by the TTB, the acceptable standards of fill in the United States now include 355ml, 250ml and 200ml containers.
There are benefits to each of the new can sizes. The 355ml (12-ounce) can is widely produced for beer and NA beverages. The addition of 250ml and 200ml cans to the acceptable standards list is also noteworthy, because each contains roughly a single serving of wine (depending on how the customer pours, of course).
Being able to have their wine in cans in every state has opened the door for more wineries to pursue the new vessel as a packaging option.
“I hope to can in April in 355ml cans,” said Scott Osborn, President and Co-Owner of Fox Run Vineyards in Penn Yan, New York. “The main problem we had before the change was wineries were only allowed certain container sizes to put our wine in — most specifically 750ml and 375ml, and most beverages, like soda and water, are packaged in containers that are 355ml or smaller.”
Osborn credited the efforts of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who championed the expanded standards, and WineAmerica Vice President Michael Kaiser as being key to making the new cost-effective packaging options available.
WineAmerica, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, lobbied for the change.
“It comes down to cost and availability, and the 355ml packaging checks both of those boxes,” Kaiser told VIntner Magazine last week. “Consumers might not notice a difference between 375 and 355, because it’s going to seem like a half bottle of wine either way. But if you’re a winemaker, you’ll notice it because the 375 is more expensive.”
And, of course, passing those savings along to the consumer is important.
“This change will allow us as producers to purchase these sizes and give a better value to our customer,” Osborn said.
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