I Can Only Promise So Much When It Comes To Not Being Biased...

Written by Ian Robertson on 4th May 2008

I remember a few years ago being at the Wine Australia event. Basically, I am like a kid in a candy store at events like these – massive events with almost every wine you can imagine sitting on a table somewhere waiting to be tasted. It is a day for endurance and planning – you certainly can’t drink everything.

So, my plan for this day was to taste mainly top end red – well, as a plan that was about as good as I got. I was there to also speak to makers about the concept of Wine Without Wank and see if I could understand what they thought of the idea and what the would want from the site.

So, in amongst all of this I come across a stand for a Producer by the name of Barokes.

“Hmmm, don’t recognize that name.” I say to myself, moving closer to get a look.

As I get closer I see a bunch of aluminum cans and a big sign with the phrase “Wine In A Can.”

At this point, with a wry smile, I moved onto the next booth.

Now I would like to say that I moved on simply because I had a game plan of top end red and this did not fit the plan – but in reality, I instantly judged the product on the basis of its packaging.

Packaging? Some might say gimmick, but that is the cynical side of me coming out again.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I receive a press release from Baroke’s – “Wine In A Can wins Medals.” Although I am as much of a cynic about medals and show results as the next person, it got me thinking. Here I am, a proponent of thinking about wine without the influence of some of the stereotypical preconceptions, and I am judging this product unfairly.

Fast forward to now, as I sit with some Wines In A Can in front of me, waiting to be reviewed. And it is still nagging at me – a real lack of excitement at the prospect.

Needless to say, and this is obviously the reason for this article, the wines surprised me – the whites were drinkable, and the reds were, well – a little more than just drinkable.

Wine perceived as quality has been stored in glass bottles with cork closures for a long long time. With all the innovation of the last 10 years in packaging there is undoubtedly going to be more weird and wonderful ways to hold wine coming down the pipeline. Much will be based on marketing and product positioning – and with Wine In A Can it is obviously trying to take on the Ready To Drink mixer brigade head on, which is no bad thing if it achieves its aim of converting some of the Vodka & Sugar drinkers – admirably, they have not overly sugared up their wines with this premise in mind, but gone for a very dry tasting route that makes me tip my hat to them. .

But – even to someone professing to be all about Wine Without Wank, it still is going to take a bit to move me on…just keep working on us Wine Marketers, and keep reminding us that it is about what the wine itself tastes like and not the container.

Barokes Wine In A Can Reviewed.