INSIDER'S PICK:2014 ALLOY WINE WORKS CHARDONNAY CENTRAL COAST 2014 ALLOY WINE WORKS PINOT NOIR CENTRAL COAST $10.99/500ml, $41.49/4pack

We can already feel the collective shock and surprise (perhaps even a little bit of judgment) from people as they see the picture of the two wines being featured. Canned wine for many people ranks right up there with deep fried novelty carnival foods and swimming laps in Rio's Guanabara Bay as things they would least like to try. But canned beverages have come an extremely long way over the last decade, thanks largely to the craft beer movement taking the reins in finding alternative packaging. The advantage of having wine like this is not in the high end quality but the portability, easy packing and consumption for trips, festivals, and backpacking.
The two biggest hurdles to get over (aside from personal bias) are that the wines are either a) damaged by the can, or b) mass marketed. we can assure you that neither is true for these wines. Just as with screw caps, these are wines that are built to be consumed in the fairly short term, so while there could be a flavor difference after 4-5 years in comparison to the bottle, it wouldn't matter because they are built to be consumed over the next year or two, maximum. And the craft beer market has shown the can to be one of the best methods for smaller producers to get things packaged thanks to mobile canning companies. The production here is only a few thousand cases from a small artisan producer (we featured their 2013 Field Recordings 'Neverland' Cabernet Sauvignon as an Insider's Pick just a few weeks ago) who just decided to take a risk with some of his juice. The Chardonnay is everything you would want from a $16 range wine in a bottle, which is what these would be for the equal volume; round white fruit and lemon curd with a touch of buttery malolactic texture on the palate, but no heavy oaky presence. For the Pinot, the fruit is plump and juicy, not sweet or candies at all with even a touch of savory on the finish, and no hard edges throughout. Throw these in the cooler (or in the mountain stream), or crack one open for yourself on any occasion, and you will find a place for these in your active lifestyle.

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