11 Aug Convenience in a can – Underwood Pinot Gris
At this time of year, we Americans are out there…
hiking, fishing, camping or just hanging out in the park.
Those who keep track of such things report that
the number of outdoor participants in the U.S.
continues to increase at a healthy rate,
especially amongst millennials and Gen Xers.
These are consumers who like convenience.
And many also like their wine.
So when they head outdoors,
they leave the bottles, corkscrews and stemware behind.
Instead, they grab a can (or two) and go.
But do they sacrifice flavor?
It’s Wine Thursday!,
our weekly look at a good wine
that sells at a reasonable price and is easy to buy,
either at your store, online, or both.
This week, we’re checking out
one of the most popular products
in what has become an increasingly popular category:
canned wine.
Where it’s from
8 years ago, the Union Wine Company decided
to try something different…make their wine available not only
in bottles but also in cans.
Now, Union annually produces millions of cans of pinot noir,
pinot gris and rosé from its facility in Tualatin, a suburb of Portland.
What it is
We’ll lead with the obvious: this is not special-occasion wine.
But it also should not be immediately dismissed simply
because it comes in a can.
Made with grapes sourced in Oregon’s Willamette and Umpqua valleys,
Underwood’s canned Pinot Gris is medium bodied,
has a good dose of acidity and is slightly effervescent.
While this wine is not overly sweet,
fruit flavors such as apple, pear and lemon
are definitely up front.
Don’t let this wine warm up.
Drink it ice cold and you’ll be pleased with the outcome.
This is the same wine that Underwood
puts in conventional glass bottles.
It is just much more convenient to take along
on any outdoor activity.
IMO, canned white wines taste better
than canned red wines.
And Pinot Gris is perhaps the best
canned white wine varietal available.
Where to buy it
Prices are for a single 375-milliliter can.
Underwood canned Pinot Gris is at Trader Joe’s and Total Wine for $4.99.
The price at BevMo is $5.49.
It sells for $5.99 at Fred Meyer, QFC, Target, Ralphs and Whole Foods.
The price at Safeway and Albertsons is $6.99.
You can order it from Binny’s for $4.99
and Wine Library has it for $5.99