Convenient, Quality, Sustainable Wine!

Canned and bagged wine is here to stay! Packaged wine has also risen in popularity as they are an approachable and budget-friendly introduction option for all types of oenophiles. They have become the perfect pickup for socially distant gatherings, household dinners, and virtual events (no sharing bottles or corkscrews required). Another reason why canned and boxed wines are here to stay is that they are environmentally friendlier than glass bottles. Recyclable packaging weighs less to transport, reduces the carbon footprint, and cuts down on carbon emissions.  So the question remains, had wine always come in glass bottles, and if not, where did the idea that quality wine had to be bottled? That answer is rooted in history.

Going back in time, some 8,500 years to be exact, wine was produced in vessels such as oak barrels and clay amphora, which was then poured straight into a carafe, a technique that’s still practiced today in some wine regions. Back then, wine was also carried in portable vessels like moleskins, worn by European explorers. In Ancient Rome, Romans drank wine as a staple to their diet and their soldiers were given wine as part of their daily rations, which had been drunk out of whatever was convenient. Only the finest wines had been put in bottles for aging, which was only done by the wealthy or wine collectors. As science and winemaking technology evolved and American wine consumption became widespread, bottled wine became a modern concept. In 1979, due to the high demand for America’s consumption of European wine post World War II, the United States Congress mandated that a 750ml bottle of wine be the standard size for taxation purposes. Because of this demand for wine, European winemakers imported inexpensive wines in bottles, duping the Americans to have them think they were receiving quality wine, which caused consumers to scoff at wine sold in anything other than a bottle. 

Today, we know that quality wine doesn’t have to come from a glass bottle. Enjoying quality, sustainable wine is accessible as ever and comes in eco-friendly and convenient alternative packaging such as pouches, cans, and boxes. Gone are the days of sacrificing quality for convenience, so sit back, relax, and enjoy your canned wine because it’s here to stay!