La Robe du Vin, the revival of canned wine

May 10 | Marketing & Communication, Wine

The Wine Dress

We admit it at the start, finding canned wine, it was disconcerting. Somewhat dubious about the format, and yes, for us the can was mainly reserved for soda or beer. Despite the attempts noted on the wine market in recent years. We admit to making a dubious pout in the face of this new format. Somewhat lost, should we drink from the can or take out the glassware? Do we play it cool and relaxed and we desecrate the wine to the end or all the same, we keep the essentials, the wine is drunk in a glass and that's all?

Le canned wine is not new, it has been around for many years. The can of wine already exists in Japan, notably since 2011 thanks to an Australian company. But also in Germany, where 60 million cans are distributed each year, in particular by Lidl, a cheap distributor. In the United States, the canned wine market has experienced explosive growth in recent years.
But until recently, at least in our country, canned alcohol was rather the “prerogative” of the homeless.
If it is easy to convince a beer lover of the box in a can, it is quite different for wine purists.

If we drink directly from the can, we can legitimately wonder how through an aluminum can we will be able to appreciate the color of the wine, or even oxygenate it and smell it as it should.
In reality, we are probably not asking the right questions. The objective of canned wine is also to be disruptive. The idea is no longer to consume wine as it has always been. The can of wine will make it possible to develop new uses and address new customer profiles. This has no ambition to replace the traditional bottle on the table.

This trend aligns with the “drink in moderation” or “drink alone” trend. It responds in particular to the needs and desires of Generation Y, in fact, it stimulates growth and is more inclined to buy alternative formats. It is therefore a reduced consumption with a reduced target. The idea is to reach a clientele who knows the difference between the intrinsic quality of the product and the quality of the product. And who wants to have a civic act by consuming quality wine in responsible packaging.

Wine in a can is enjoyed on new occasions: at picnics, festivals, when traveling with airlines, people who don't want to drink a whole bottle or who would like to try different varietals in one tasting session .

The advantage of the can format

Advantages of the bobbin

Canned wine solves one of our problems, bottled wine does not keep forever, and even if we love it, it is not advisable to empty the bottle alone when we have just fancy a drink at the end of a long day.

One of the advantages of the can is its lightness, but also its resistance and the fact that it is 100% recyclable.
On the transport side too, it is important to underline a non-negligible point, aluminum is much lighter than glass, which is not nothing when you think of transport.
Its inner side is covered with a special coating that eliminates all exchanges between the container and the wine. The taste of the wine is therefore not altered by the can.

Apart from the recycling side, there is also the practical side when we take away for example. Especially in this time of a pandemic, what could be more frustrating than not being able to have your usual glass of wine with your meal. Even if in France, we are not supposed to consume alcohol on public roads. This format of the can is optimal for so-called mobility situations, where stability, keeping and transportability are the key.

Imagine yourself in a music festival (well, project yourself into the future), sometimes good music is better appreciated with a glass of wine than with a glass of beer, however, in a festival, you are put at the defiance not to overturn the stemmed glass, and sacrilege to drink your wine from a plastic cup. The wine can is the ideal solution for this situation. It is therefore a real opportunity to reposition the image of wine as a “festive” drink. So of course, we all suspect that we won't find Grands Crus in cans.

It is therefore necessary to adapt the format to the target, but also to adapt the content to the format.
For the format, we are now seeing a lot of work by designers regarding this recyclable packaging that is the can, like Brewdog. Its shape and material provide a beautiful surface for the brand and the product to tell as many stories to sell or inform the consumer.
A design and colorful packaging, which is somewhat similar to the latest trends in terms of craft beer.

The challenge behind the container

As The Grape Explorer mentions in their video “ CANNED WINE – Will I Ever Find a Good One? producers must be vigilant about the quality of the product contained in this can. Indeed, since the container is still unusual for wine, offering medium-quality wine in it would leave consumers with the idea that canned wine is low-end. While we can find very good quality wines in cans, such as those offered by La Robe du Vin. This is particularly what happened for the BiB, once this imagination is created, it is very difficult to evangelize to show that you can have good wine. As a general rule, we see in canned wine, IGP wines of poor quality: rosé wine without color, without aromas, without taste. However, as the saying goes, “the habit does not make the monk”: the container does not make the wine. If you bottle bad wine, it stays bad. The same goes for the bobbin. Can, BiB, bulk, screw cap or cork, it is above all a question of marketing.

Canned wine is more suitable for wines such as rosé or sparkling wines such as prosecco. However, like Château Guilhem, we can find red wine there.

As a good man said, not to quote him, "change is now", let's go for the can format!

Our opinion on wine in a can La Robe du Vin

The box contains three rigorously selected wines that come from sustainable agriculture (BIO/HVE). A Bergerac rosé from Château Poulvère, a white Vouvray Coq'licot and a red Languedoc from Château Guilhem.
What we appreciate about La Robe du Vin cans is being able to find information on food and wine pairings in a pictorial way, but also whether the wine is rather dry or rather sweet. Problem often raised by novices who sometimes feel a little lost when choosing a bottle. This type of presentation is therefore ideal for this client target.

Can of wine La Robe du Vin

In addition, the team took the time to produce a booklet presenting the concept, the advantages of the can such as: the format, reasoned consumption, the 100% recyclable side and its resistance to transport, with tasting advice.

La Robe du Vin also reminds us of its eco-responsible commitment thanks to a partnership with Ecotree.

The winegrowers and the recipes are also presented on video, each area is also presented via a dedicated sheet. And tasty recipes are offered such as oysters au gratin from chef Alexandra Beauvais, or duck breast from chef Loïc Pasco and we finish mouth-watering with the bowl of seasonal vegetables and marinated chicken from chef Olivia Kpeglo .

Presentation booklet La Robe du Vin
La Robe du Vin recipe booklet

We started with the Vouvray Coq'licot from the Cave des producteurs, on the nose, we were transported to the troglodyte caves of Vouvray. For Château Poulvère, we were surprised by the clarity of its colour. Château Guilhem made us rediscover the pleasures of Languedoc. We can now also confirm that the container does not impact the taste of the content. Don't wait any longer to test yourself!

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