Waitrose has introduced a new wine-in-a-can format, aimed at the festival and picnic season.

The move sees it offer an Organic Shiraz and an Organic Rosé, sourced by Robert Eden of Chateau Maris, in recyclable 250ml cans (RRP £3.49).  The wines are available at 138 Waitrose stores. The Rosé is a blend of Syrah (60%), Cinsault (10%) and Grenache (30%).

Victoria Mason, Waitrose wine buyer, noted: “Following the success of small bottles at Waitrose last year, with sales increasing by 10%, we know our customers are looking for convenient and environmentally-friendly packaging options for wine. Wine in a can is growing at a rapid rate in the US and it’s only a matter of time before this catches on in the UK. As festival season approaches, these new cans are perfect to pack in a picnic and have the benefit of being recyclable too.”

Organic wines sales are up 36% year on year at Waitrose. With the launch of these new cans, Waitrose now has 52 organic wines in the range, from 15 different regions and across many different formats including 75cl bottles, 2.25l boxed wine and small bottles