13 Popular Canned Wines, Ranked Worst To Best

Gone are the days where wine was so mysterious that trying to select a bottle would make someone feel completely out of place. More recently, winemakers have worked to make wine more accessible to a broader range of people of all (legal drinking) ages and lifestyles. Most of that change has come from trendier marketing, creative packaging, and lower costs that don't make people feel like they need to spend half their paycheck to afford a "nice" wine.

About a decade ago, something unheard of started happening in the wine industry. Winemakers — who were eager to get their vino into the hands of younger drinkers who were ready to explore and weren't tied to the sacred wines any longer (yes, millennials, you're welcome) — began canning their wines. Some winemakers put the wines that they had previously only been bottling directly into cans, and some wine companies began with the express purpose of selling their wares in cans. Canned wines may have been met with a little confusion and disdain at first, but since then, the market has exploded with options.

But which one to pick next time you're in the store? We decided to take a look at some of the most popular canned wines that you can find relatively easily and ranked them from worst to best.

BABE is here to meet all of your "Hot Girl Summer" and day at the beach needs. Created by Josh Ostrovsky and friends in 2015 (via Forbes), the first canned wine release was playfully named "White Girl Rosé." In 2018 the brand got a little more serious about their wines, changing the name to BABE and releasing a rosé, pinot grigio, and red canned wine, all with bubbles. It now targets a wider audience of wine drinkers who have a taste for wine without the formality of the old wine industry.

The BABE wines are all effervescent but lean more into the spritzer category than sparkling wine. But before you pass this off as just another stuffy brunch rosé, you should know that even Ostrovsky doesn't see this wine as sacred. "We wanted to be the Bud Light of wine," Ostrovsky told Forbes. The wines appear in no formal wine rating guides but have been wildly popular, alongside White Claw, Truly, and other hard seltzers. Of the wines on this list, we'd say that this is the least fussy and, to that extent, the least nuanced canned wine on the list. We wouldn't call the wine especially tasty, however, but it's at least easy to drink and widely available.

Even if you just dabble in wines, it's likely that you've seen wines from the Coppolas. Yes, those Coppolas, as in the family of filmmakers Francis Ford Coppola. This particular wine is named after his well-known daughter, fellow director Sofia Coppola. You aren't going to find a lot of variety here, but you are going to find cans of rosé, brut rosé, and blanc de blancs, each in a delightfully ornate pink, rose, or raspberry-colored can. Each can equals about one glass of wine and makes a Hollywood chic kind of statement wherever you're enjoying it.

Each of the wines in the Sofia collection of wines is sold in bottle format as well, with some even available with matching candles. Wine Spectator awarded the Sofia Brut Rosé a score of 87, which is comfortably reliable if not exactly exciting. Moreover, a 4-pack of wine goes for $20. Since four cans equal a bottle of wine, the $20 price tag for the set is generally reasonable, neither a bargain nor a splurge.

Cupcake Vineyards currently produces no less than 19 wines, with grapes sourced from all over the world. Based in California with a worldwide reach, Cupcake Vineyards has developed quality wines that appeal to a wide variety of wine lovers, all at an approachable price, with many bottles costing less than $15. Wine Enthusiast has given the wines scores in the mid to high 80s, with many being awarded "Best Buy" status for those of you who are especially budget-conscious. And, like so many winemakers who are wising up to consumer demand, Cupcake Vineyards decided to put a few of their most popular wines in cans, all to make a light-hearted day of wine drinking even easier. So far, the winemaker has canned its sauvignon blanc, rosé, and bubbly rosé. 

The sauvignon blanc from New Zealand has consistently received high marks, which is great, though we wish some of the other Cupcake wines were available in cans. Those wishlist wines include the Butterkissed Chardonnay and Red Velvet Red, or even a selection of the Lighthearted line of lower-calorie wines that Cupcake has recently created. But, though we want more variety from the canned stuff here, hopefully, this is just the beginning of canned wines for Cupcake Vineyards.

You may have seen the House Wine logo on more traditional glass bottles of wine, but it's more likely that you've seen the cans and boxes of wine nearly everywhere. Equalling about two glasses of wine, the 375 mL cans are available in Brut Bubbles, Chardonnay, Rosé Bubbles, Original Red Blend, Pinot Noir, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, and a further eight cocktails, spritzes, and sangria. If you're looking for pure variety, this is a good bet.

Many old-school restaurants offer a bottle of house red or white wine, typically an affordable blend (via Bon Appétit). Sometimes there's a little more information given about the varietal of the wine, but sometimes you have to dive in without that. While people who are a little snobby about wine might turn their noses up at house wine, we think it's a fantastic way to explore on a budget.

Essentially, that's exactly what you're getting with House Wine canned wines. You know the varietal, but there really isn't any indication of where the wines are made or by whom. That may bother some, but these canned wines are still easy to drink, great for a day at the beach or a rooftop party in the middle of summertime. Plus, you're getting two glasses of wine for about five or six dollars.

Yes Way Rosé is a top-selling French rosé sold in the U.S., according to Forbes. So, it shouldn't really come as a surprise that, with the rise in popularity of canned wines and beverages, this wine would eventually find its way into cans for an easier on-the-go rosé experience. Originally created in 2013 by two New Yorkers who saw rosé as more than just a drink, the wine has grown massively popular. The collection has grown to include a sparkling rosé, as well as canned and mini bottles of the wines, and canned flavored spritzes.

The wine itself is a Grenache blend with the signature peachy-pink hue that many rosé wines from Provence are known for. Each can is 8.5 ounces, or 250 mL, which translates to about a glass and a half of wine per can. In 2018, Wine Spectator awarded Yes Way Rosé a score of 85 points. That's something we can definitely get behind. The only thing we don't like about the Yes Way Rosé collection is that there isn't much variety to be had, at least not yet. But if you're a diehard rosé lover, maybe you don't need any more than that.

Porch Pounder, founded by Paul Quinn and James Schreiner in the Central Coast region of California, is one of the first canned wines to be made exclusively for canning. The lineup of wines currently includes a chardonnay, rosé, brut rosé, Moscato, and a red pinot noir blend. Even if you've never had a Porch Pounder wine, or any canned wine for that matter, you're likely to be drawn in by the decorative can design. You can't help but fall in love with its on-trend vintage lettering and graphics, along with eye-catching colors. In 2019, Porch Pounder wines joined up with SLO Brewing Company to help bring the wines to a larger audience, which is why you're likely to find them in stores today.

If you're wondering just how good a wine made for cans can possibly be, know that they've impressed the "wine people" enough to win several awards. The 2018 Chardonnay was named Editor's Choice at Wine Enthusiast, with a rating of 88 points. With scores of 86 to 89 from Wine Enthusiast and a score of 83 for the Chardonnay from Wine Spectator, you're likely to enjoy sipping on these wines whether you have a porch or not.

If you're the kind of person that judges a book by the cover (and come on, don't we all on occasion?), the Crafter's Union cans are going to stop you in your tracks. Ornately decorated with full-can graphics showcasing gorgeous plants and animals, we almost don't care what's inside the can. But of course, we might as well enjoy the wine.

The Crafter's Union wines were created specifically for cans and weren't previously established bottled wines. The can collection is currently made up of five wines, including a pinot grigio, rosé, red blend, brut, and brut rosé. 

And, given how much we liked the set dressing, how was the wine itself? The wines we tasted were good, with bold flavors that were definitely unique to the brand and stood apart from some of the more generic tasting canned wines. If you're willing to take a bit of a culinary leap, this may be a good bet for more adventurous wine drinkers. The brand walks the line between casual and festive wine drinking, presenting itself as an accessible wine that's still special and something to cherish. While the Crafter's Union wines have not yet been rated by any of the major wine review publications, we think they're definitely a step up from some of the other industrially-produced canned wine options.

Charles Smith, creator of Charles Smith Wines, has been an innovator in contemporary wines for decades at this point. He was the original winemaker for the House Wine brand that's also on this list, and after selling House Wine in 2011 (via The Wine Economist), moved on to create his namesake collection with the same casual and playful marketing that made House Wine such a success. If you're serious about good wine, but not sure if you could ever enjoy a canned version of the drink, then these wines are a decent entry point for you. The Charles Smith Wines company produces six popular and highly rated bottled wines, including Kung Fu Girl Pinot Grigio, The Velvet Devil Merlot, Band of Roses Rosé, Boom-Boom! Syrah, Chateau Smith Cabernet Sauvignon, and Eve Chardonnay. 

These wines have a pretty serious cult following and are available in both wine stores and on restaurant menus. While not listed on the Charles Smith website, several of the more popular wines in this collection are also available in 375 mL cans. The Kung Fu Girl Pinot Grigio is the most widely available, but we were also able to find The Velvet Devil Merlot and Band of Roses Rosé. All told, the wines here are drinkable and accessible, though perhaps not the most exciting on the list.

Ah-So is a canned wine that's doing things a little differently than other brands. Founded in Colorado in 2018 by winemaker Carrie Chiappetta, the wines are actually produced in Navarra, Spain. The wines here are completely organic, in this case meaning that they're produced without the use of pesticides or herbicides (via Ah-So Wines). The collection of wines includes white, red, rosé, and bubbles wine. All of the wines are made from 100% Garnacha from a single-family estate.

Not only are organic farming practices used to create this wine good for the soil and the winery's surrounding ecosystems, but the use of cans is considered environmentally friendly, too. That's because aluminum cans are entirely recyclable time and time again, per The Guardian. Cans are also lighter weight than their glass bottle counterparts and are much less likely to break in transit. So, for those looking to enjoy their wine in the most sustainable way and with some resiliency for outdoor picnics and other responsible adventures, it's worth taking a sip of the Ah-So line of wines. That said, accessibility is still a bit of an issue here. Ah-So isn't quite available everywhere yet, but many of the retailers selling the cans are listed on the wine's website.

The McBride Sisters, Robin and Andréa, began producing their own wine in 2005 in California, creating what has since grown into the largest Black-owned wine company in the U.S. — no small feat an in an industry where BIPOC leaders are traditionally in the minority. In 2019, as the Los Angeles Times reports, the MacBride Sisters launched their canned wine collection, called "SHE CAN", which includes Fresh White and Rosé, and two wine spritzers, Island Citrus and Coastal Berry, both made with dry rosé. Each can equals about half a bottle of wine.

With the launch of the canned wines, just one facet of the McBride Sisters Collection, Robin and Andréa also launched the SHE CAN Fund. This initiative provides grants for emerging winemakers, focusing on women of color who are vastly underrepresented in the wine industry. Up to $100,000 in sales of the SHE CAN wine go directly to supporting the SHE CAN Fund, so you can enjoy your wine and support transformation in the wine industry while you're at it.

Dark Horse is a wine company that's also taken the most popular and award-winning wines in the collection and canned them to reach a wider audience. Currently, it offers six canned wines, namely a pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, rosé, brut bubbles, and rosé bubbles. For a wine that's never been particularly expensive, even in 750 ml bottle format, the Dark Horse wines consistently rank very high. Wine Enthusiast recently awarded Dark Horse scores of 86 to 90 points and included several of the wines in the "Best Buy" category.

We also like that the Dark Horse wines are widely available, including at some Target locations, groceries, and convenience stores that carry wines nationwide. You won't come across any heartwarming stories of family-owned and operated vineyards on the Dark Horse website. Instead, Dark Horse sources its grapes from over 400 growers in California to produce reliably consistent and broadly attractive wines that will appeal to just about anyone.

Bridge Lane is a smaller producer that you may not be acquainted with yet — but you'll want to be. The winemaker is based on the North Fork of Long Island, growing their own grapes as well as sourcing varietals from around the state. Their regular lineup includes five wines, plus an additional bubbly that's available intermittently. The five core wines in the Bridge Lane lineup include a white merlot, sauvignon blanc, rosé, unoaked chardonnay, and a red blend. But the really cool part is that each wine is available in four different formats. There's the classic bottle,  and then there are the cans which can be taken just about anywhere. Bridge Lane also packages the wines in larger format 3-liter boxes and 20-liter kegs. 

Perfect for bigger events where the empty bottle count could get out of control. Bridge Lane considers itself a craft winemaker but doesn't subscribe to the exclusivity of traditional winemaking. Bottles run about $20 each, but the price by volume begins to drop pretty dramatically when purchased in other formats (kegs shake out to about $10 per 750 mL). Owned by Lieb Cellars on Long Island, the wines have consistently been rated in the high 80s by both Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, which means there's hardly a wrong choice in the lineup.

Underwood was one of the first wine producers to can their wine and sell it nationwide and has consequently become one of the most popular brands available. As far back as 2013, the clever folks at Union Wine Company, which produces Underwood wine, started canning the very same wines that they also bottle. The company also launched the #pinkiesdown campaign to help make wine approachable for everyone, not just stuffy wine world gatekeepers. 

The Underwood canned wine collection includes six wines, along with a wine spritzer made with rosé, a wine cooler made with pinot noir, and a "radler" style made with riesling. All of the wines that are currently canned are also sold in bottle format and include pinot gris, rosé, rosé bubbles, sparkling wine, and two pinot noirs. Honestly, it's hard to go wrong, regardless of the type of canned wine you pick. What's more, is that the wines going into these cans have received high marks from several wine lists, ranging from 86 to 90 points from Wine Enthusiast and 81 to 87 from Wine Spectator. Wine Enthusiast even ranked Underwood's pinot noir 2019 vintage in the Top 100 Best Buys of 2021, coming in at number 62.