We talk to Vincent O’Boyle, the co-founder of Sip Wine Cans, Dublin’s first canned wine brand, about sourcing some lovely wine from northern Spain, and working with local artists on the design.
Vincent, tell us a bit about your background and what sparked the idea for Sip Wine Cans.
I’ve always worked in restaurants, bars, and hotels, surrounded by wine – but really became obsessed with it during lockdown when I did the WSET level 3 course. At this time, I was working with my good pal Phil on a digital radio station we co-founded, and we’d often end up chatting about wine. One of the days he asked me “have you tried wine in a can?” and that was the spark!
Talk to us about the materials in the cans you use… How important is sustainability in your processes?
When we heard that 80% of metal that’s ever been produced is still in use today, and that aluminium cans are recycled forever – we knew we had found the perfect packaging for our wine. One of the key reasons we chose the 187ml can is because, like many others, we often found ourselves over-consuming or wasting wine when opening a full bottle. We wanted the option of enjoying a great glass of wine on a Tuesday night without the pressure of finishing a bottle. Plus, aluminum is much lighter than glass, reducing fuel consumption during transport – making cans a great choice for anyone who values sustainability.
You’ve just launched your first two products. Tell us about the white and red wine on offer and how you went about sourcing them.
We sampled a lot of wine on our trips to find the perfect wine partner. Then we met Victor from Castillo de Monjardin and tried his wine, and I remember turning to Phil and nodding – we had found the wine. Victor’s family-run winery is based in Navarra, which is north of the Rioja wine region. Atlantic breezes and altitude mean the climate is a little bit cooler than the rest of Spain which results in fresher styles of wine.
Our white is an unoaked Chardonnay with its natural fruits at the forefront, and our red is a Garnacha bursting with fruit flavours, with some smoothness and spice from light oak aging (in the same style as a Rioja). We named our white wine “Night Harvest” as the grapes are picked in the cool of the night preserving freshness and acidity, and our red wine “75 Vines”, as the grapes are from a 75-year-old vineyard called La Cantera, or The Quarry in English.
You say you want the cans to ‘to be canvases for Ireland’s creative art scene’. (They look brilliant by the way!) How did the collaboration with artists Sarah Gray and Jody Barker Rocket come about?
We first came across Sarah’s work through her collaboration with Irish Country Magazine, where she created illustrations for a series on the invisible struggles of women. Her art was exactly what we were looking for—bold, colourful, and playful. We’ve even heard that people have been keeping cans on their shelves to display.
Jody is an experienced graphic designer and a close friend of ours. He was the first port of call when we were designing the cans, and he came up with the beautiful logo on each can which is meant to signify the last precious drop of wine being poured into a glass. We hope that as we grow, we can collaborate with more artists.
Wine in cans is still a relatively new concept in Dublin. How easy are you finding it to persuade people to embrace the change from bottle-poured to a can?
While some people were initially skeptical, most have embraced the idea, especially after tasting the great wine! Surprisingly, we’ve found the older generation are totally on board because they remember the novelty of the first beer cans. Consumers today value choice and individuality, and now they can pick a single glass of wine in a can, alongside canned cocktails, seltzers, or even canned saké. The wine is made the same way, whether it’s going into a bag, bottle, keg, or can—once people realize that, then they’re much more open to the idea.
What have been the main challenges in getting things off the ground?
The biggest challenge in the beginning was picking ourselves back up after setbacks and dead ends. Since this hadn’t been done before in Ireland, we had to figure it all out ourselves. We’d been working on Sip for a really long time, so there were plenty of ‘are we still doing this?’ conversations, which were tough. Once we found the right path, it became about connecting all the dots – the winery, the canner, the transport, revenue and customs – it was a huge logistical challenge, but we made it work!”
What else do you have in the pipeline?
We want to source an amazing rosé in time for the summer season, so we might need some volunteers to help us try a few dozen rosés…
We want sip to be at more gallery openings, gigs, and events – basically anywhere where we like to drink good wine. We want to be supportive of the culture and arts scene and will be hosting our own events alongside some of our favourite artists.
Where can people find Sip Wine Cans in Dublin?
We’re very lucky to be working with some amazing independent retailers. You can find us at Redmonds (Ranelagh), Brindle (Portobello), D-Six wine, beer & spirits (Harold’s Cross), Drinkstore (Stoneybatter), Marlowe & Co (The Tenters), Pablo Picante (Dawson & Baggot) and the Fumbally (Clanbrassil St).
Words: Martina Murray