It makes sense. We aren’t all beer drinkers, so why should wine lovers be left out of a single-serve, ready-to-go option? Let’s face it, lugging a 750ml bottle of wine in a backpack to the beach for one glass, or opening a whole bottle for a solo tipple with dinner just isn’t feasible. Enter, the humble can.

Small Things Wine is starting to make big waves in the wine world, since founder and winemaker Ian Batt was offered a parcel of fruit from one of Western Australia’s most acclaimed vineyards in the Great Southern. “At that point there was canned wine on the market, but only a couple of different generic and non-varietal options by the bigger supermarkets and providers. A great wine experience speaks of the place and the people that make the wine; I thought, why don’t we have any really good Margaret River wine in a can? Our business model is to put the very best wine in a can, and to make the best wine you need the best fruit. We’ve had such amazing support from our growers. They enable us to do what we do.”

Canned wine isn’t a new idea, in fact, in 2021 its market size in America is a hefty $235.7 million US dollars, growing at 13.5 % yearly. So why aren’t we opening more cans of vino in Australia yet? “Aussies are still a bit nervous about cans, and it’s totally unfounded. The container doesn’t tell you what the quality of the wine is like. There are so many stigmas in regards to what a can does to the wine inside of it. It’s down to education – a can is a seriously great vessel for wine. It’s stable, airtight, impenetrable by light and it’s environmentally friendly. One of our greatest strengths is our environmental footprint.”

So, after cracking open an eco-consciously packaged delivery of the 2020 range (yep, it arrives in a compostable satchel and a recycled box), it’s time for the money question. How do they stack up? 100% varietal, single-vineyard, unfined and unfiltered these are great value natural wines made to drink now. Ian shares, “our wines are all meant to be drunk young, fresh and juicy and full of fruit…and taken with you on your adventures; whether that’s camping in the bush, chilling on the beach, or just out for a picnic.”

The 2020 vintage includes Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rosé, Shiraz and a Pinot Noir from Pemberton. Even serious wine drinkers will be surprised by the quality of the fruit and winemaking in each can – I’d suggest pouring into a glass to properly appreciate the full spectrum of the aroma and flavour profiles.

“We want to make sure when people choose our wine it’s going to be a great experience.” Mission accomplished.

For more details or to place an order, head to smallthingswine.com.