Wine in can: sustainability, technological aspects, and market perspective

The wine industry introduced various packaging alternatives to traditional glass bottles, including aluminum cans. Recently, canned wine has gained significant market importance despite challenges in maintaining wine stability. Aluminum cans offer sustainability advantages over glass bottles. This study examines the market potential for canned wine in one region of Italy (Tuscany), focusing on consumer interest across different age groups by testing the hypothesis that the new format meets with greater success among younger individuals and trying to understand the main causes of this trend. Through a survey conducted among more than 500 wine consumers in Tuscany, in addition to seeking confirmation to this hypothesis, we verify how this trend is associated with the maim wine drinking preferences and habits of young generations. Although the canned product is in fact absent in the local market and is practically unknown to most, more than 46% of respondents expressed interest in the canned product. The research indicates how this preference is more consistent in younger generations, who are more likely to consume wine and other alcoholic beverages outdoors and out of meals. In these generations, preferences for light, easily drinkable wines with low alcohol content, suitable for a sustainable consumption outside traditional meal settings becomes increasingly evident, and this kind of packaging represents a solution consistent with such trends.