11 Outstanding Canned Wines for Barbecues, Picnics, and the Beach

Oona Barbera Rosé

A California rosé made in classic Italian style, canned brand Oona’s first release is a joint project from chefs and food writers is no surprise, because the brand was founded by a group of food writers and chefs Colu Henry, Natasha Pickowicz, Alexis deBoschnek, DeVonn Francis and Pierce Abernathy. Rosé Frizzante starts with Barbera grapes from Central California and employs a slow fermentation to retain all the bright fruit characteristics.

It’s slightly fizzy, full of tart strawberry and herbal notes, and pairs particularly well with food. Each can contains a single serving equivalent to one glass of wine and comes with a food pairing suggestion and a pack of dinner-party-worthy recipes.

Waves 2022 California Red Wine

This can’s psychedelic design hints to the quirkiness of the blend that lies within. Made from Zinfandel co-fermented with Merlot skins, it’s peppy and peppery, showing notes of dark cherry, plum, and cocoa.

This wine is best served chilled, though it’s still drinkable at room temperature. Producer Eric Wareheim and winemaker Joel Burt also create low-ABV, botanical-forward spritz versions of their wines, making a perfect option for day drinking.

Maker White Blend

When Sarah Hoffman set off to make her own canned wines, she called up some of her favorite independent winemakers, like Santa Cruz’s Nicole Walsh of Ser and Teraj Bajjalieh of Terah Wine Co., to help her create a line that was accessible while minimizing the packaging’s environmental footprint. 

Maker’s Spanish White Blend is a combination of Verdelho, Grenache Blanc, and Albariño. It offers soft notes of white blossom and citrus but retains enough body to pair with fish tacos and other warm-weather fare.

Djuce Crisp White

Djuce advertises its lineup as being sommelier-curated, and that isn’t just a marketing tactic. The Swedish brand’s selection would be perfectly at home at a natural wine bar, with a core range that includes a funky Sicilian orange wine and a fizzy pet-nat-like sparkler. 

Djuce’s works in collaboration with some of the world’s most notable natural wine producers including Abruzzo’s Cirelli, Austria’s Meinklang, and Burgundy’s Domaine Verget. From Djuice’s permanent collection, Crisp White is a great introduction to the line made from Trebbiano that offers flint and minerality with round notes of fresh pear and apple.

Jumbo Time Wines Ring Leader

Though these aren’t cans, this Los Angeles-based brand does package their natural wines into smaller-format crown-cap sealed containers — essentially a bottle of Red Stripe filled with wine instead of beer. Ring Leader is a glowing, hazy orange wine made with Alsatian grapes that include Riesling and Pinot Blanc, grown at high elevations in the California mountains. The result is an easy-drinking wine that tastes like white peaches, iced tea, and fresh mountain air. Each 355ml serving contains half a bottle of wine, making it perfect to split with a friend.

Nomadica Sparkling Rosé

Sommelier Kristin Olszewski started this line of canned wines in an effort to get White Claw lovers and young drinkers excited about wine. Six years in, Nomadica now includes a full range of red and white wine, a skin-contact orange wine offering, a series of sparklers, and boxes for grander affairs.

The sparkling rosé, made with organically grown Grenache, is particularly delightful. It’s crisp and bubbly with notes of fresh raspberries and pomegranate seeds. 

Underwood Pinot Noir

This light-bodied, berry-forward Pinot Noir has more complexity than most people might guess would be found in a canned wine. Light spice and black tea notes add to the bright fruit flavors. Each bottle contains roughly two glasses of wine so keep that in mind when pacing yourself.

NV Sofia Blanc de Blanc

When Sofia launched in 2002, canned wines were practically unheard of. Things have changed, but this vivacious, dry California sparkling wine, with its green apple and light baked-bread notes, has not. And that’s a good thing. The mini cans clock in at 187 ml, making them ideal to carry on the go, or to top up a spritz without having to open a full bottle.

Une Femme The Betty

When Jen Pelka started in the food and wine world twenty-odd years ago, she noticed the industry was lacking in representation. So when she opened her wine bar, The Riddler, in San Francisco in 2017, she filled the menu with women-made wines while curating a space that’s accessible to anyone who wanted a glass of bubbles.

The idea behind her wine brand, Une Femme, follows a similar ethos: Pelka partners with a range of female growers, winemakers, and designers to package bright California bubbly into canned wines that work for any occasion. With a nod to classic Champagne, expect tight, refined bubbles with notes of green apple and citrus peel.

Proxies Sparkling Rosé

If you need a break from booze, Toronto-based Proxies offers highly crushable cans of zero-proof wines. They’re made with a combination of Riesling and other fruit juices, including pomegranate and strawberry concentrate, which gives the drink crisp hibiscus notes with a juicy tang.

Rosadito

Produced in the El Bajío region of Central Mexico, the oldest wine-growing area in the country, Rosadito is a textbook poolside rosé.

Made from a blend of Grenache, Macabeo, and Verdejo, then fermented in stainless steel, it’s crisp and highly quaffable with notes of candied berries and overripe strawberries. Serve it ice cold, preferably beside a body of water.