Pinot Noir in a can launched

Oregon-based producer Union Wine Company has released a Pinot Noir in a 12-ounce can to try and encourage the “beerification” of wine among consumers.

Yes, we canned: Union Wine Company’s Underwood Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris in 12-ounce cans

As reported by business and design website Fast Company, the cans, traditionally used to house the likes of Budweiser and Miller Light, will go on sale next year at around US$5 each.

The idea for the cans, carrying both Underwood Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, came after a trial run at Portland food and wine festival, Feast 2013, proved a hit.

Union Wine Company’s owner, Ryan Harms, is hoping the cans will help make wine more accessible to a new breed of consumers. In addition, his cans will save the company around 40% on its packaging costs.

“We wanted to come up with a product that embodied our company’s philosophy of making great craft wine minus the fuss,” Harms told Fast Company.

“There is a ‘winification’ of beer going on and we are at the forefront of a new trend – the ‘beerification’ of wine.

“We want to be a part of everyday celebrations. These wines are more about immediacy, and the can is an extension of that thinking,” he added.

Emblazoned with a Twitter friendly #PinkiesDown call to arms, the back of the can reads: “We believe what goes into the glass is more important than the type of glass it is being poured into.”

This is not the first canned wine to hit the market. Last year, Accolade Wines launched a range of sparkling wine-based drinks in a can called The Sparkling Collection, sold under the Hardys, Banrock Station and Stone’s brands.

Back in 2011, db reported that retailers in Denver were selling out of local urban winery, The Infinite Monkey Theorem’s US$6.99 Sparkling Black Muscat in a 250ml can, emblazoned with the brand’s eye-catching monkey logo.