Stel+Mar Delivers Good Wine In A Can

This is probably my longest overdue post ever on this website. I have enjoyed the wines from Stel+Mar since the beginning months of the pandemic last April. The packaging on these wines are definitely not geared towards the hardened winos – but I assure you these will satisfy even the snobiest of snobs. I can understand why it might take the market a little while to warm up to alternative packaging given the history of plonk that currently sells at the LCBO in bag in box, or tetra pack – but trust me on this one – these cans are delicious!

Stel+Mar Premium Red – LCBO 14775 – $2.75 – **** – It’s easy to be skeptical about this wine given it comes in a can. While we’re never going to see bottles disappear the future of wine packaging is going to change. It’s lighter, and easier to ship so it’s better for the environment… but apart from the altruistic reasons to grab this bottle when I opened my first can I was stunned at the quality. It doesn’t say so on the can but this is unmistakable Lodi Zinfandel. This wine finishes dry with soft tannin so nothing gets in the way of the juicy dark cherry, plum, and blueberry flavours. Emptying the can into a large glass definitely helps the wine open up – but no need to be fancy if enjoying out of the can is what you prefer. 

Stel+Mar Premium White – LCBO 14776 – $3.90 – ***½ – This is Unoaked Chardonnay from Mendocino, California. You can practically taste the hot california sun that has been soaked up by these grapes. Pineapple, Tangerine, Mango play in harmony on the palate – but mated with well balanced acidity. There is something un-californian about the texture of this wine, but that’s a good thing. This is focused and finishes clean on the palate which makes it easy to pair with food. Another can that does well if you decide to pour it into a glass, but nothing wrong with crushing a can socially distanced on a patio. It is impossible to find wine of this quality for under twelve dollars a bottle. 

Stel+Mar California Rosé – LCBO 18485 – $16.95 – **** – I’m a year round Rosé drinker – I’m always happy with perfectly balanced pink wine that finishes clean thanks to nice acidity. The nose is confected watermelon and strawberry, but don’t let your nose fool you this rosé is bone dry. The fruit flavours from the nose follow through on the palate with nice intensity. Beautiful acidity keeps this light on the palate and finishes with a slight citrus pithy note.