The Copper Crew - Canned Wine

A new canned wine from The Copper Crew

A winemaker, a management consultant and an academic decide to start a canned wine business just as the country goes into lockdown.

No, it's not the opening line to a joke, it's the story behind three ginger-tops who named their business after their hair colour.

The wines are sourced from South Africa and are ... well, really very pleasant.

So far there's a white (Chenin Blanc) and a rosé, with a red to follow.

Why canned wine? Why not?

Does all wine have to come in a bulky 75cl bottle? I don't think so.

The packaging looks great; it's sophisticated and iconoclastic. And certainly distinctive - even before you consider that pretty much every bottle of wine on the shelf looks virtually the same.

This is a product that is probably not after the wine-bottle market; it's more about pick-up-and-drink, or take-on-a-picnic. An alternative to canned G&Ts.

In the interests of a full review, I try it first from the can - as it's intended to be consumed - and then from a tasting glass to assess the wine on its own merits.

From the can it tastes fine and I would happily take it on a picnic or - as we are in Cambridge - a lazy river trip. It's a lot less bulky than a bottle and glasses and at 25cl is a sensible portion size. It's ripe and fruited in an easy-to-enjoy way, but still a decent wine - neither alcoholic fruit juice in a can, nor something overly complex that does not benefit from the packaging.

I think they've got everything right here; the wine tastes exactly as you would hope based on the format and the presentation.

The wine comes in cases of 6, 12 or 24 bottles with free shipping on larger orders and a per-can equivalent price of a little over £4. I find this a little toppy for the inherent quality of the wine, but sensible from a business perspective. Moreover, I suspect it's rather better value for the quality than other small-format alcoholic drinks.

The Copper Crew Chenin Blanc 2019 (25cl can) ripe yellow stone-fruits, some aromatic herbs, florality, white pepper and pleasant freshness with a slightly mineral edge. Technically well-made and deliciously enjoyable.

With plenty of ripe fruit, it works well as an easy-drinking sipper; match with picnic foods such as pork pies, chicken drumsticks and cold cuts.

The Copper Crew Rosé 2019 (25cl can) ripe, delicate soft red-berry fruits with some grapefruit and lime zest; supple and substantial with some gently creamy leesiness.

A little more food-friendly than the white, match with quiche, salads and picnic or bbq foods.