Nice Wine In A Can: Sainsbury’s Joins UK’s Canned Wine Trend

Last month, Sainsbury’s jumped on board the UK’s canned wine trend, stocking this cute-looking Nice wine in a can. The postie brought me a sample of the pale rosé to try, while a Sauvignon Blanc is also available.

As you can see in the pic above, the blurb on the “nice” presentation box says “glasses are now optional”. Well, I guess they always have been optional for those willing to drink straight out of a bottle. However, I can’t think of any occasion when I’d actively choose to drink out of a can, rather than a glass.

The thing is… wine from a glass is SO superior to canned wine that it might as well be a different drink. Which begs the question: will there ever be a time when you need wine so badly that you have to drink it out of a can? Because other drinks just suit disposable formats better. Beer from a bottle, for example, it perfectly palatable; as are those pink-gin and tonics you get from Marks & Spencer.

Still, there’s my rant about drinking out of cans out the way. But what’s the wine inside these ones actually like? It’s actually not bad at all.

The Taste

This Nice rosé, sourced from prime rosé country in southern France, pours out a slightly darker shade of salmon pink than the colour on the side of the can. I tried it from the can initially but, of course, I also poured some into a glass because, let’s face it, the only aroma you get wafting from a canned wine is essence of aluminium.

Released into its natural habitat (a glass), the Nice wine is a completely different beast. It smells pleasant and summery, of strawberry and peach, with a bit of grassyness and a very refreshing acidity. From the can, it’s noticeably more metallic and astringent tasting, while of course you can’t smell any of the fruit.

So, while I wouldn’t opt for a can of this while I was out and about, I’d be happy to keep a few in the fridge for those occasions when you just want one glass. I can’t vouch for the Sauv Blanc variety, but going on past experience, rosé works better than white from a can anyway, because of its sweeter flavour.

The cans are also recyclable, while they chill super fast. I reckon they’ll be a hit on this summer’s festival scene.

3 NINJA STARS

Nice wine in a can is available now at Sainsbury’s for £3 a can

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