A Hood River vineyard that sells wine completely in cans lately earned a significant prize for considered one of its wines. Freetime Wine’s 2023 White Pinot Noir took house the “Better of Present” award within the white wine class on the seventh annual Worldwide Canned Wine Competitors (ICWC) held July 30 in Boonville, California.
Winemaker and Freetime Wines founder Carly Legal guidelines was shocked to find that considered one of her wines had earned high honors on the competitors. “I had type of forgotten that I had even submitted the wines,” Legal guidelines mentioned when contacted in regards to the large win.
The 2025 ICWC acquired entries from throughout america that went head-to-head with wines from Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Italy, Japan and Portugal. The entries have been judged by a panel of veteran wine journalists and judges, together with Dan Berger, who was the full-time wine columnist for the Los Angeles Instances from 1988 to 1996.
Legal guidelines mentioned that it was vital for the canned wine class to have an occasion just like the ICWC, and given the standard of the competitors and judging, she was “actually proud” that considered one of her wines received “Better of Present.”
Given their burgeoning recognition, it’s no shock that canned wines have their very own worldwide competitors.
World Market Insights (GMI), a analysis and administration consulting firm based mostly in Delaware, estimated the market worth of the worldwide canned wine market in 2024 at $1.4 billion. GMI predicts that market worth will improve to $4.6 billion by 2034.
The trail to creating wine in cans took Legal guidelines by wine and administration positions for notable Portland eating places resembling The Woodsman Tavern, Ava Gene’s and Olympia Provisions. Legal guidelines additionally labored ten years for an Italian wine importer positioned in Napa, California.
Legal guidelines presently works for Sure Society, a non-public membership for wine collectors. Nonetheless, she mentioned she is working onerous “to make Freetime her fulltime.”
With that résumé, why make wines in cans? Legal guidelines mentioned there have been two essential causes she took the canned route.
First, Legal guidelines mentioned she beloved the way in which cans make it “tremendous straightforward” to take pleasure in wine wherever, any time. Go to any Pickles baseball sport or Oregon Zoo live performance and begin counting the variety of individuals ingesting wine from a can to see what Legal guidelines is speaking about.
The opposite motive has to do with high quality, or the shortage thereof. “I attempted so many canned wines and was by no means actually impressed. You’ll be able to inform a whole lot of it isn’t super-high high quality wine,” Legal guidelines mentioned.
When Legal guidelines moved from Portland to Hood River in 2015, she might see the wine scene there was blowing up. Legal guidelines additionally knew somebody would finally make a canned wine with Hood River fruit, and he or she could be “actually bummed” if that somebody wasn’t her.
Working with licensed natural pinot noir grapes from a pal’s winery off of Eastside Street in Hood River, Legal guidelines made her first canned wine in 2021. She makes three completely different wines in 250 ml cans – the white pinot noir, a rosé of pinot noir made with slightly pressured carbonation, and a chillable pink pinot noir that’s created by mixing 40% white pinot again into the pink wine.
Legal guidelines has been making 18,000 cans of wine yearly, which at 250 ml per can, interprets to 500 nine-liter instances. Legal guidelines is working with a second natural licensed winery in 2025 that’s positioned on the opposite aspect of the valley, so she hopes to extend manufacturing to 25,000 cans this 12 months.
I had not tried Freetime’s award-winning white pinot noir, so I snagged a number of cans at New Deal Distillery and Bottle Store on Southeast Salmon Avenue. Whereas I used to be there, I additionally picked up a can of the 2024 Freetime Wine “Brilliant” Pinot Noir, the one which blends pink and white pinot noir.
It must be famous that “Brilliant” took house a gold medal within the pink wine class on the 2025 ICWC. And rightfully so, as a result of it’s thirst-quenching and refreshing at 11% alcohol by quantity (ABV). Remember to purchase sufficient to fill a door rack in your fridge.
The 2023 Freetime Wine White Pinot Noir, additionally 11% ABV, lives as much as its award. The wine is the colour of peach skins, which is sort of applicable given its aromas and flavors of peaches, vivid pink raspberries and lemon zest. Its acidity is as invigorating as a 25-knot wind to the face whereas windsurfing within the Columbia River Gorge.
Freetime’s cans all promote for a recommended retail value of $8. You could find them on Portland cabinets at Wellspent Market, Providore High quality Meals, Coquine Market and Milk Glass Mrkt. Please needless to say costs at these places might range.
Or you’ll be able to take a highway journey to Sugarpine Drive-In in Troutdale to pair Legal guidelines’ white pinot noir with Sugarpine’s Oregon albacore tataki sandwich. Remember to pack straws.
freetimewine.com or data@freetimewine.com.
— Michael Alberty writes about wine for The Oregonian/OregonLive and Wine Fanatic Journal. He will be reached at malberty0@gmail.com. To learn extra of his protection, go to oregonlive.com/wine
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