July 27: Over 200 wines-in a-can entered the first International Canned Wine Competition held on July 24 at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in California where wines from France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and England competed with producers from all corners of the United States, with 37 Gold medals awarded, writes Subhash Arora who is not a fan of can but concedes that they have a niche market and eventual entry into India is inevitable with millennials attracted
The competition judges came from academic world, marketing and the wine trade. Dr. Robert Williams, Associate Professor of marketing and business courses at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania and a founder of WICResearch, a leader in the wine-in-can market, is a lead judge. He says he was ‘pleasantly surprised with the quality and range of the wines submitted’.
Allen Greene, who has been in the wine business for over 45 years and has also been organizing the Mendocino County Fair Wine Competition, is the competition director while Lisa Gagliardi is the Panel Coordinator. Results of the competition can be viewed at: https://cannedwinecompetition.com
Wines in a Can has been making a slow but steady increase in popularity despite restrictions in can sizes and other limitations imposed by the governments in the US and other parts of the world. But many who considered it a fad earlier believe it’s here to stay. The competition is a step in that direction.
Dr. Williams claims early adopter producers see wine packaged in a can as an extension of their wine into new markets as opposed to a mere substitution or cannibalization of traditional bottled wine. He says further that now it is not a fad but rather a significant new wine category that is finding a permanent, positive place in the overall wine market.
One of the first studies Dr Williams conducted indicated that the traditional methods used to market bottled wine by segmenting and consumer targeting may not work for wine in cans. Wineries have still not developed a strong image such that consumers recall the brand name, even if they are aware of this type of packaging. According to the study, reported in Forbes last year, the wine-in-a-can market is driven by five motivations: convenience; occasion expansion; sustainability/cost savings; quality; and visual imaging/branding.
The researchers claim about 180 producers make 475 wines in the can. All major wine varietals come in cans. Interestingly Rosé appears to be the most popular category for canning. It is ranked ninth in popularity of bottled wine but second in cans. Several Indian importers have contemplated importing wines in a can, but no one has been able to import, partly due to their image of being perceived as cheap wines by consumers and partly due to high registration costs even for experimentation. But sooner or later some entrepreneurial importer will be taking the risk and importing them soon to test the niche. These wines have lower cost of transportation and the cans are recyclable.
There were 20 categories for entries at the debuting competition. Plans are already in the works for the second annual International Canned Wine Competition, which is scheduled for Wednesday July 22, 2020. Competition director Allan Green promises it will be “aluminating!” Details and entry conditions may be viewed at: https://cannedwinecompetition.com/
Subhash Arora
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