OUR Q&A WITH THE OWNERS OF QUAFFABLE, QUALITY CANNED WINES

Sans, of course, means “without.” The list of things that Sans Wine Co. does without is a substantial one because they’re focused on sourcing single vineyard premium wine grapes from organically farmed vineyards. In other words: Sans Additives. Sans Chemicals. Sans Pretense.

And the wine bottle is another thing they do without— Sans Wine Co. produces high quality canned wines.

We caught up with the (super busy) owners, husband-and-wife team Jake Stover and Gina Schober, to talk about their focus on quality vintage varietals that have never seen a tank or barrel.

 

Q: Canned wines are receiving considerable attention lately. Yet some people still associate it with being cheap. Is there a big learning curve for the consumer?

Yes and no—we have found that most consumers see our cans as a single serving rather than a half bottle of wine. Once they see that each of our cans is a little more than two glasses, the price makes sense, especially with ours being single vine- yard wines produced in the Napa Valley. Considering what the canned wine industry was four years ago and with the canned boom of the last 12-15 months, consumers now see canned wine all over.

Q: How well do 375 ml aluminum cans work as a vessel for superior wines?

The can is a very stable environment and the perfect vessel for us, especially because we make low intervention wines and don’t age our wines in oak. There’s no head space, no UV light penetration and

(almost) no oxygen in the can, so it’s essentially a time capsule for the wine as well. We are finding that our first vintage of wines are ageing slowly in can, and ageing incredibly well, too.

Q: What comments do you most often hear from people who try Sans Wine for the first time?

“Wow, I didn’t know canned wine could taste this good!”

“I can’t believe this is a Napa Valley Cabernet.”

Most everyone is surprised at how good the wines taste, whether drinking from a can or pouring from a can into a glass.

Q: How does wine in cans benefit someone who is budget-conscious yet would like to drink good quality Napa wine every day?

If our wines were packaged in bottles, they’d be considerably more expensive. We hear that a lot of people want only one or two glasses of wine during the work week and don’t want to open a bottle for fear of wasting some. Consumers can enjoy a high quality Napa wine for less because the can production costs are lower than bottle production.

Q: Tell us about distribution. Where can Sans Wine Co. be found on the shelves?

We have distribution in 15 states. Our wines can be found at Whole Foods (in Texas), plus a number of small, in- dependent grocers and wine shops including Sunshine Foods and The Charter Oak in St. Helena; Oakville Grocery; Oxbow Wine & Cheese, Trade Brewing and Brown’s Valley Market in Napa; La Calenda and Kelly’s Fuel & Provisions in Yountville and Mollie Stones in the Bay Area.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

707-738-1064 // sanswineco.com // @sanswineco

 

Article By: Laurie Jo Miller // Photo By: Brandon Ruffin