Taste Test: The Best Canned Wine to Try This Holiday Season

Back in the dark ages, wine lovers had to haul a bottle of their favorite vino to the big holiday dinner party. These days, smart sippers are leaving the bottles at home and bringing canned wine instead — or enjoying them at home. From crisp whites to fruity reds, we rounded up 16 canned wines for an informal taste test to determine whether any of them are worth drinking this holiday season. (Short answer: Yes)

Prices and availability are subject to change.

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$17 from Drizly

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This brand of canned wines took top billing in a recent Wine Spectator article titled, "Is Canned Wine Growing Up?," which noted that winemakers were putting "better, more interesting wines into cans." While the brand also offers a malbec, a rodi rosé, a regular rosé, and a sauvignon blanc in cans, we like this one for its celebratory factor. Expect a crisp wine with hints of apple and pear. Pair this with light meals like salads, shellfish, or a cheese plate. 

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$6 from Target
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When it comes to canned wine, perhaps none gets more love from critics than Union Wine's Underwood lineup, which includes pinot gris, rosé, and sparkling varieties as well. Their pinot noir is classic Oregon: fresh raspberry on the nose and notes of ripe, tart cherry and vanilla on the tongue. Fresh and juicy, this ruby red pinot promises easy sipping with or without food. It was also the top canned red wine in a Wine Spectator review of more than two dozen canned and boxed wines.

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$54 and up from Maker

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Maker partners with smaller premium winemakers to offer their wine via can, "sans the snobbery." Many of their well-rated wines are available only via the brand's Can Club, but imbibers that live in a  wine shipping-legal state can get this mix-pack without membership. Order six, 12, or 24 cans of zinfandel, rosé of grenache, and sparkling sauvignon blanc. 

$5 and up from Drizly

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This proprietary red blend based out of Washington state offers what Wine Spectator calls "a juicy quaff, with fruit-forward cherry flavors." A blend of merlot and syrah, it also offers notes of spice, currant, and plum. This wine would be excellent served along side heartier and umami fare such as pork chops with a mushroom sauce. 

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$4 from Total Wine & More
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Aging wine in bourbon barrels is a thing, apparently, but if you don't care for whiskeys and bourbons, the resulting vino can be a bit of a shock to the first-time drinker. Notes of clove, raisin, nutmeg quickly give way to pronounced (almost overbearing to this reviewer) smoky oak and leather. Save it for a hearty steak dinner or chocolate afterward.

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$32 for 6 cans from West + Wilder
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West + Wilder canned wine is harder to find in stores than the others in this comparison. At about $6 per 250ml can, it's also one of the pricier options — it's only sold in packs of three at most stores. But West + Wilder is worth the splurge. A delicate floral nose with grassy traces gives way to refreshing hints of green fruit on the tongue with a dry, pleasant finish. It was also the top canned wine overall in Wine Spectator's 2019 roundup of canned and boxed wines.

$10 for 4 cans from Total Wine & More
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This light-bodied Spanish tempranillo has tight tannins on the tongue that give way to plum, tart cherry and green apple, with a dry finish. Sip by itself or pair with a charcuterie plate that includes manchego cheese and serrano ham. Sold in 250ml cans.

$5 from Total Wine & More
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This California white was the softest of the bunch; on first sip, it tasted more like a chardonnay than a pinot grigio. Buttered popcorn on the nose, ripe pear on the tongue with citrusy hints and a medium-dry finish. Try it paired with salty snacks.

$7 from Drizly
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Bright strawberry and citrus zest on the nose; with hints of green apple, unripe pear, and kiwifruit on the tongue with perhaps a trace of the usual butteryness expected from a chardonnay. Serve this California chardonnay with cheese and crackers.

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$15 from Total Wine & More
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This California pinot is notably fuller than the Underwood, with traces of cedar on the nose. Hints of berry give way to warm spice, currant, and red berries, with a dry finish. It demands to be served with a double-cheeseburger and fries.

$8 from Quality Liquor
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This California chardonnay was surprisingly tart, so much so that it could be mistaken for a dry, citrusy sauvignon blanc. Green apple and white grapefruit on the tongue with trace minerality and a smooth, almost buttery finish. Pair with chilled shellfish, chicken salad, or pita with hummus. This wine is hard to find in cans, so you may have to settle for a 750ml bottle instead.

$5 from Total Wine & More
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Pronounced tannins on this jammy red blend from Washington state. Hints of white pepper, red fruit, and a touch of leather, with a full body and mellow, warm finish that lingers slightly. Another excellent choice for red meats or hearty stews and chilis.

$5 from Total Wine & More
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The lightest-colored of our white wine samples, Underwood has the faintest pink blush color with hints of sweet berry and citrus on the nose. Mild strawberry and watermelon on the tongue, with a moderate body and pleasingly dry finish make this an easy one to drink by itself or with food. Don't care for white? Underwood also makes a rosé, which is a fave with editors at Food & Wine.