The value-added process of carbonation led to a significant increase in likability, purchase intent, and ranking for the carbonated wine samples over uncarbonated samples of muscadine wine, Nick Wendrick, found while an undergraduate at the University of Florida.

Now a master's degree candidate at UF, is studying how muscadine wine packaged in glass compares with wine in aluminum cans. The objective is to help wineries determine if canned wine is appropriate for their product portfolio.

He notes that from March 2020 to March 2021, canned wine sales grew 62%. He's hopeful his research will yield another value-added process to help increase the popularity of muscadine wine.

It should. Other research at UF has found that canned wine has been gaining popularity for years. It's easy to produce single servings which increases the locations where wine can be consumed to include beaches, swimming pools, ball parks and stadiums. There's less breakage, and canned wine can be recycled.

Various commercial researchers see CAGRs of anywhere from 13.1% (Global Market Insights) to 17.1% (Future Market Insights).

There are, of course, challenges, some caused by the low internal strength of cans themselves, others by negative consumer perceptions, and still others by the cost of necessary capital equipment.

Still, research thus far at UF suggests that aluminum cans may be a vuabkle packaging alternative to glass for carbonated muscadine wine.