Cooler by the Lake (with canned wine)

It’s no surprise that the lakefront is cooler than your mosquito-laden backyard or the hot asphalt streets of the city. With gentle breezes from the water and abundant sunshine, lake living is the summer vibe to find. Whether sitting under an umbrella with a good book, relaxing on a comfy sand chair, catching rays on the bow of a boat, or noshing with friends at a picnic, there’s no better place to stay cool than by the water. And what makes being by the lake even more refreshing? Canned wine inside the cooler, of course!

As for me, you can count on the fact that my cooler by the lake will be filled with an assortment of canned wine. That’s right… wine in a can! Even if you consider this a passing fad (it isn’t, by the way), canned wine is my preferred choice for those occasions when dropping a glass bottle on the dock results in an emergency room visit or searching for the wine key is a lost cause.

But how does canned wine taste? Recently I was sent several as samples to discover just that. Producers put the same wine in the can as they do in the bottle and many say that the lining within the can doesn’t affect the taste. Frankly, I wasn’t a fan of the red wines sent; they had a steely aftertaste. But that’s just me – you’ll have to decide for yourself. Some of the wines tasted better in a real-deal wine glass, but that clearly defeats the purpose of having wine in a can, right?

The wines I received are available in a variety of sizes, from 250 milliliters to 375 milliliters. Cans are light to carry (throw a few in a backpack), are recyclable, take up less space in the cooler, and are perfect if you’re tippling solo on the boat.

After tasting my fair share, the following easy drinking wines were my favorite choices for those sultry summer days by Lake Michigan. Each chilled rosé and white wine was snappy, refreshing, and delicious sipped right out of the can. Look for these choices in your neighborhood wine shop and taste for yourself. Then discover why wines in a can should be on your list and in your cooler.

Stella Pinot Grigio 2016 is in a 4-pack of 250 ml. cans and retails for $13. From Sicily, this 100% Pinot Grigio wine was harvested from a variety of vineyards planted between 1982 and 1995 and fermented in stainless steel tanks. I found lovely flavors of stone fruit, rich citrus, and peaches with a long, satisfying finish. Just delicious.

Wrath AL Sauvignon Blanc 2017 at $7.99 for a 375 ml can (that’s a half bottle of wine in a can!) is your next smart choice. Tasting just as delicious in a glass as in the can, this Monterey County 100% Sauvignon Blanc is from the certified sustainable San Saba Vineyard. I loved the lively aromas of stone fruit and fresh cut grass. My palate was just as satisfied with its flavors of crisp and juicy lemons, limes, apricots, and gooseberries. Bright acidity helped give this gorgeous, brisk wine a kick! (And if you haven’t already figured it out, “AL” is the periodic table’s symbol for “aluminum”.)

Wine by Joe (Joe to Go) Pinot Gris is sold in individual 375 ml cans for $7 each. Wine by Joe was founded in 2002 with the intention of producing Oregon wine at affordable prices. Their newly released “Joe to Go” canned wines enhance their already popular portfolio of wines in bottles. After pouring a few ounces of the Pinot Gris in a glass, I noted aromas of stone fruit, lemons, and zesty limes. Tasted from the can, bright acidity, flavors of tart citrus and orchard fruit offered plenty of balance.

Wine by Joe (Joe to Go) Rosé, another canned wine offering by Wine By Joe, is $7 for individual 375 ml cans. In their efforts to be “responsive, real and relatable”, this wine, a blend a several grape varieties, delivered. I found aromas of bright strawberries and red flowers and flavors of light cranberries, pomegranates, stone fruit and dried apricots. Both the Rosé and Pinot Gris were fermented in 100% stainless steel tanks.

Ah-So Rosé retails for $19.99 for a pack of four 250 ml cans, the equivalent to 1 liter of wine. Consisting of 100% Garnacha from Navarra, Spain, all estate grown grapes, from vines that are 15-45 years old and cultivated on clay and limestone soil, are hand-picked and sorted. Vinification occurred in stainless steel and fermentation was for 18-20 days prior to canning. I found this wine to be approachable and thoroughly enjoyable with notes of bright red berries, crisp acidity, and a fruit filled finish. And how was the name derived? An “Ah-So” is a wine opener with two prongs that most of us are still scratching our heads trying to figure out how it actually works! But it does and “Ach-So” in German means “Ah, now I see”. But this time, no quirky opener is needed… just pop the top!

Cheers! ~ Cindy