Canned wine

Exploring the growing canned wine scene, from summery staples through to more refined choices, our diligent taster eases back the ring-pull on 110 wines to pick out his 18 favourites on shelves now

- PETER RANSCOMBE

Beer drinkers have it easy - when the sun starts to shine, they just grab a can from the fridge and head outside. Wine fans face a tougher task: deciding whether to bring plastic cups or 'proper' glasses, how to keep a whole bottle cool, and whether they need a corkscrew.

Does wine in cans hold the answer? Judging by the number of brands on the internet and the increasing amount of shelf space given over to them in supermarket fridges, it's a format worth exploring. The 110 cans I assembled fell into two categories - those aiming for the convenience market and those prioritising more serious liquids. That's no surprise; after all, the same could be said for the split between wine and fine wine in other formats too, whether it's traditional glass bottles or bag-in-box.

Evangelists (e-can-gelists?) hail the can not only as a practical format for picnics, but also portion control. Opening a 187ml or 250ml can limits the size of servings and perhaps prevents leftovers from an open bottle going to waste.