Vin-in-a-tin. The canned wine industry, an established staple in the US, crossed the pond and ingratiated itself into the socially distanced picnics of Britain’s lockdown summer in 2020, and it’s stuck around. According to one Market Watch estimate, the canned wine industry grew by 68 percent from 2019. So what can we learn from the little can that could?

We can’t deny that wine in a can feels a little strange. Like waking up in a parallel universe, there’s something unsettling about pairing the sophistication associated with the wine industry and an aluminium tin. Canned wine isn’t “serious wine” says Jacqueline Snoeker consultant at Vinergy.

But despite this – nobody can deny the convenience. Easy to transport, it’s no wonder the canned wine industry became a hit at socially distanced park visits and beach days during the pandemic. What’s more, gone are the days of ‘having’ to finish an entire bottle – each 200ml can equates to a large glass of wine, making it easier to drink responsibly and in moderation. 

There’s also a big environmental impact to consider. The lighter packaging equates to a smaller carbon footprint due to the ease of transport, and cans are more widely recycled in the UK than glass bottles. 

In 2020 Brits spent £412 million, on beverages from Ready to Drink category, up 23% on the previous year. This is almost double the value of RTDs five years ago, when the category was worth £234 million. While there’s an undeniable taste for the product, where you compare that to the overall alcoholic drinks industry, which tops over £100 billion annually, canned wine is barely making a dent.

So just because you can, does it mean you should? Is canned wine going to become as unsurprising as boxed wine now is? If you ask the experts, the answer is a resounding yes. “We always felt that [canned wine] was not a fad, and that is why we stuck with it,” said Corey Beck, CEO at The Family Coppola. With new companies emerging and old companies adapting, such as Babe, Hun, and Sipful, we’ll drink to that.