I broke one of my own rules with this one, not picking up a wine simply because the packaging looks different or attractive, but curiosity got the better of me. Wine in a can is nothing unusual these days, but a full 750ml can certainly is.
The can is made from recycled aluminium, with Vinca claiming it produces four times less CO2 than glass bottles. There is also a special internal lining designed to keep the wine protected from contact with the metal.
The brand is Vinca Wine, founded by friends Jack Green, Zak Walters and Charlie Vass. Green’s interest in wine began during a trip to Sicily when he was 18, followed by roughly a decade working in the London wine trade. During the Covid lockdown, the three came up with the idea of putting serious organic wine into lightweight, recyclable packaging, before returning to Sicily to find an organic winery and winemaker to work with.
Vinca has also been quite clever with the practical side, using Kingsland Drinks for bottling and distribution. Kingsland is associated with familiar names including The Ned and Les Dauphins, as well as producing some white-label wines for Morrisons.
The wine itself comes from Sicily and is a blend of Syrah and Nero d’Avola. The Syrah comes from a high, breezy plateau between Marsala and Salemi, while the Nero d’Avola is grown around Vita, farther inland. It is also worth pointing out that this is different from Vinca’s single-serve red can, which uses Frappato.
It is vegan, organic and 12% ABV, and I could not see a vintage anywhere on the can. There is plenty of cherry and red fruit when you first smell it, along with a slight touch of vanilla. It is dry, with low tannins, plenty of cherry flavour and a spicy finish. Perfectly OK, but not especially distinctive in any particular way. The can labelling describes it as bold, although I would not agree with that, medium-bodied feels much more accurate.
For the typically discounted price, it is decent enough and there is undoubtedly some novelty in the format along with the sustainability angle. It is £10 on the Vinca website, while I picked it up in Tesco at £8.50, reduced to £7.50, and with a further 25% off as part of a mix-six offer it came down to only £5.63.
