Alloy Wine Works (Field Recordings) wine cans.
Alloy Wine Works (Field Recordings) 2015 Central Coast Chardonnay ($8.99/500ml can)
Clear straw color. Fresh scents of pears and green apples and yeasty rising bread dough lead into a tart and tangy and very slightly sweet flavor highlighting lemony citrus and, yes, pie crust, with meyer lemon hanging on in a very long, acidic finish with warm 14% alcohol. I would never have expected a wine this balanced and well-made to come from a can. It’s not my favorite style of Chardonnay, but I’d score it well on points in wine judging. (June 29, 2017)
Alloy Wine Works (Field Recordings) 2016 “Hans Grüner” Edna Valley Grüner Veltliner ($8.99/375ml can)
This wine surprises me on two levels: It’s a much better wine than I would have ever expected to find in a can, and it’s a much better Grüner Veltliner than I would have ever expected to taste from a vineyard that’s far from Austria. It’s a clear, light brass-color wine, with fresh white-fruit and green herbal aromas that I expect from a good GV. The same goes for the flavor, which shows clean, crisp white fruit, snappy citrus and a distinct touch of stony minerality with a light 12.1% alcohol. Zippy lemon-lime persists in a very long finish. (June 29, 2017)
FOOD MATCH: Mild white fish or fresh oysters or clams would make a natural match with the “Hans Grüner”, but its snappy acidity and balance make it a natural with a broad range of fare. The Alloy Chardonnay worked very well indeed with Italian sausage sauteed with green peppers and onions.
WHEN TO DRINK:
I’m not prepared to pontificate about aging potential for canned wines, but even with their surprising quality, I’m not going to suggest cellaring right now. The Chardonnay can briskly expresses the winery’s intent that you buy it, open it, and drink it: “Enjoy by tonight, tomorrow and this weekend.” We’re sure it will last longer than that, though.
VALUE:
Remember that these cans are smaller than standard wine bottles. The 500 ml Chardonnay can is two-thirds of a bottle, placing it in competition with a $13.50 Chardonnay; it’s certainly more than reasonable at that price point. The 375ml Grüner Veltliner can is one-half of a bottle, working out to an $18 full bottle, which again is competitive with a good everyday Grüner but not a fancy single-vineyard model. Both prices seem fair.
WEB LINK
These links will take you to the web pages for Alloy Wine Works with its canned wines, and Field Recordings, Alloy’s parent company, which also has many other wine-making properties.
FIND THESE WINES ONLINE:
Click here to review vendors and prices for all of Field Recordings’ wines including the Alloy Wine Works cans.
Alloy Wine Works sells its wines directly to the consumer in four-packs.
