In these series of interviews I will interview many enthusiastic people who are involved in the canned wine business.
WITH WHOM DO I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING?
Adam Lovell and I am an entrepreneur in the canned wine segment of the wine industry. Originally, I am from New Zealand but for the last 4 years I have been living and working in Spain & Portugal and it is here that I have created my company and products.
WHAT IS YOUR BACKGOUND IN WINE?
As a teenager working in restaurants, I became interested in wine. I was lucky enough, as I went through school and university, to work in a number of restaurants with some rather extensive wine lists. This gave me an excellent basis of knowledge which I then sought to extend when I left university by going to work in some of the vineyards and wineries in the region I grew up in. I worked in a few places at home and then came to work in Europe. I did a vintage in France before deciding to try my luck in Spain. I was able to work with a few wineries in some different regions and learn a lot in that time and that led me to noticing a gap in the market with canned wine which I was eager to explore.
HOW WOULD YOU DESRIBE YOUR WINE IN A CAN?
The wine in a can I have created is called Andra. I have created this product with the intention of bringing quality wine to consumers in a way that excites, engages and inspires. In particular, I have decided to create something for women as I see very little in the drinks industry that is made especially with women in mind and figured this would be a fun and enjoyable market sector in which to create something cool. The wine itself is some great wine from the Valencia region. A rosé made 100% from Bobal and a white wine 100% from Macabeo. The wines are soft, well-rounded but still crisp, with nice fruit forward notes that make for very enjoyable drinking. And of course, coming from the can, they are kept fresh and vibrant! This is the first product line I have created of what, I hope, to be a fair few more. Watch this space!
TASTING NOTES OF THE WINE CAN GUY – ROSE
‘Fresh, dry and with aromas of young little red fruit like raspberry, strawberry and a twist if herbs…..like Provence! Well done and a joy to drink’’.
WHY ARE YOU IN THE CANNED WINES INDUSTRY?
I was drawn to the canned wine industry as, after a number of years working with wine, I became very bored with the traditional wine marketing. I find it very often to be unengaging and rather self-absorbed, always talking about the quality and features of the product and putting little consideration into the actual experience that they are seeking to create. For this reason, I notice that a lot of people, younger generations especially, are not interested in the wine they are purchasing and despite liking the taste, see little to no value in digging any deeper. Why? Because there is nothing that really communicates with them to entice them to look further. The wine they drink is then a part of the background as opposed to being something that contributes something to the experience. A personal mission I have been developing is to find a way to bring quality wine to consumers in a more accessible and engaging way and it is through this format that I have found a great new way to do just that. Wine can be fun and carefree too, y’know.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF CANNED WINES?
A lot of people in the industry seem to be up in arms about the use of cans and its sort of blasphemy against the qualitative values of the world of wine and their beloved bottles. Again though, I think this viewpoint is rather self-centered and fails to realize the magnitude of wine consumers or potential consumers who are not swayed by this in the same way and would prefer an easier, more convenient and more sustainable way to consume their wine. For the wine enthusiasts, their cultures and traditions will persist but the canned wine world should open up wine consumption to far greater numbers, thus growing the size of the industry as a whole. This may cause a large shift of format among the entry level ranges as producers adapt to accommodate this new preference in the market – also, making it more sustainable as a whole – but when it comes to the more intricate and traditional side of wine, I believe there are still positives. As more people are brought into wine consumption with this easily accessible format there should also be an increase in the consumption of this higher quality wine too as more people are gently persuaded into the market and then start to explore more.
I am super excited and grateful to be putting something engaging, creative and sustainable out into the world of wine and I look forward to all of the fantastic adventures and great people I encounter as the project grows. Thank you Dennis for your time and the opportunity to share my ideas and opinions.