May 25th might just be one of my favorite days of the year. And while this year Memorial Day falls on the 25th, that’s not what I’m referring too. I’m toasting a glass to….
National. Wine. Day.
That’s right, ladies. A whole day dedicated to a full-bodied Cabernet, or perhaps even better – a crisp, refreshing taste of Rose´. As if moms need an excuse to have a glass of wine – between the laundry, partners, children, dinner, being a #bosslady….who doesn’t want a glass of vino to unwind in the evenings? – but hey, we’ll take it!
While most years #NationalWineDay would be spent with our girlfriends, sharing a bottle of Rose´, things might look a little different this year; emphasis on sharing and girlfriends. So what’s a girl gonna do if the city, despite the governor’s allowance to reopen shops and restaurants, is still on lock down and restaurants are doing take-out only? Four words: wine in a can.
I know what you’re thinking.
“That sounds disgusting. Why would anyone do that to themselves? Won’t it taste like the metal can? Wine is classy, and that is soooo not classy.”
Trust me, I thought all those things – and more! When canned wine first turned up on the scene a few years back, I turned a snobby nose up at it, thinking there was zero possibility it could taste good. Remember wine in a box? Yep, my thoughts exactly. But after a couple of good reputable sources in the wine industry vouched for canned wine, I figured “ok well now I have to at least try it”. That, and over the years I started to develop a more open mind and came to the conclusion that I shouldn’t knock something until I try it. Trust me, when you marry a Portuguese man and one of his mom’s signature dishes is octopus rice, you learn to try things you wouldn’t normally touch with a 10-foot pole!
Anywho, I digress.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: canned wine is nothing like boxed wine. Canned wine, my friends, actually tastes – well, like wine! And good wine, at that. I’ll have to admit, when I took my first sip, I was pleasantly surprised. Partly because it’s better than I expected and partly because mentally I was expecting a beer taste, given I was drinking out of a can. I don’t know why but for whatever reason, even though I knew it was wine, my brain kept thinking “beer…nooo, wiiine…BEER?…NO, wine…aaahh yeess WINE!” Once I got over the mind games, I thoroughly enjoyed the wine!
As if tasting good wasn’t reason enough, I totally dig canned wine because of its portability. Ok, technically all wine is portable but picture this:
You’re going on a picnic and you want everything to be easy peasy, right? Easy to eat food, nothing too messy that requires a bunch of silverware. Disposable plates, napkins, etc are in order for a quick cleanup. Let’s be honest, who wants to throw dirty dishes into a picnic basket, anyway? You go to pack the wine and…..breakable wine glasses? Um, no thank you. Plastic wine cups? Here I go being a wine snob again…but definitely. Not. Wine in a can? Can someone say….perfect solution? It’s easy clean up, doesn’t require a lot of space like a normal wine bottle does, non breakable glasses and – bonus! – no need for a corkscrew. Does it get much better?
It does, my friends, it does and here’s why: because it’s the perfect serving size. Don’t want to open a whole bottle cause you know you won’t finish it before it goes bad? That’s no problemo if you’re drinking wine in a can. Ok, ok I know I sound like an infomercial, but it’s true! If your boo isn’t into wine or if you’re not a “one glass a day keeps the doctor away” gal like myself, then wine in a can is the right fit for you.
While I might not be able to physically go to a wine shop and share a bottle with my friends as I normally would – I can bring a pack of canned wine to the cul-de-sac party where I can keep my distance and we can all thoroughly enjoy our wine whether in a bottle or in a can!
