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BOTTLING & LABELING

every major supermarket chain in England
had a complete line of imported wine in cans
bearing their logo.
Also the Italian wine industry jumped into
the market in 1983 with red, white and rosé
table wine as well as Vino Frizzante Bianco and
Rosso. Innovative Australian vintners focused
on canned wines and sold 30,000 cans of Ca-
bernet Shiraz in Australia in 1998. Then they
started to develop and patent the „Vinsafe

these were flat-top steel cans that required an
opener, often referred to as a „church key,” to
punch holes in the top. Was it Chardonnay or
Cabernet Sauvignon at that time?
No, they contained Muscatel and other wine
related drinks like canned Port, Sherry and To-
kay. So no light, sparkling, refreshing wines;
these wines containing about 20% alcohol.
In the 1940s a new kind of can came on the
market. These cans were opened in the same
manner as beer bottles and it was hoped they
would provide an easier transition than flat-
-top cans. The first wine canned outside the
United States may have been from Australia.
About the same time a French steel can of Bor-
deaux Superieur appeared on the market. The
first extended marketing of white wine in cans canning technology,”“which assures stability
came about in the late 1970s courtesy of pro- of premium varietal wines and a shelf life of at
ducers in Australia. least five years. Their 250 ml cans are distribu-
Venezuela and Argentina followed with ted in Asia, Europe, Canada, New Zealand and
unusual canned wines based on red wine of Australia.
Spain with citrus fruit juices added – like the
wine spritzers, coolers and seltzers we have But what about today’s perspective and
nowadays! the near future of canned wines? Is it a trend
In 1981 aluminum cans were introduced that will pass or will this form of wine pac-
in England, specifically a French vin de table kaging get its own place in the marketpla-
specially selected for the can. Within one year, ce? The market is growing at a rapid rate.
a redesigned tall 250 ml can, was introduced To quote some figures from the US market,
and wines were imported in bulk to be canned it is the fastest growing wine segment with
in England or in cans expressly designed and a growth percentage of 400% over the previ-
filled for the producer. It wasn’t long before ous 4 four years.
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