Weeknight wine, outdoor recreation, events, travel and shared accommodations all favour smaller or flexible formats.
After recent years of volatility, B.C.’s wine and cider producers have shifted the conversation from recovery to renewal, and throughout the year, I have been preaching not to repeat negative narratives.
As vineyards rebound and cideries continue to grow, marketing strategies must evolve to match a new era that values authenticity, connection and local pride.
The opportunity is clear: this is the time to tell stories that make people care as much about where their beverage comes from as about what’s in the glass.
The easy-to-tote 250 ml drink size has posted sales growth approaching 40 percent. Okanagan wineries (The Opera Room, Stage's Hollow) are adding a bit of design flair to cans destined for the lake, festival or golf course. Photos by Yvonne Turgeon.
Market shifts to small
As consumer habits evolve, packaging innovation has quietly shifted from “nice to have” to necessity. Producers are being asked to look beyond the traditional 750 ml bottle and consider how different formats fit into real drinking occasions.
Smaller formats, single serves, multipacks, cans, cartons and bag-in-box are all showing consistent growth. This is not a passing trend. It reflects how people are choosing to drink today.
The data support this shift, even as overall wine sales soften. While there is limited publicly available Canadian data, U.S. tracking from NielsenIQ, SipSource and WineBusiness Analytics shows that while total wine volume has declined, certain formats continue to grow. On-premise sales of 187 ml bottles have grown by more than 30 percent, while 250 ml wine cans have posted growth approaching 40 percent. In retail, 375 ml bottles and carton-packaged wine continue to grow, even as 750 ml bottles decline.
Boxed wine provides one of the clearest long-term proof points. According to data cited by WineBusiness, boxed wine grew by roughly 30 percent between 2018 and 2023, pointing to sustained consumer acceptance, particularly for everyday consumption and hospitality programs. That shift was further underscored when U.S. producer Tablas Creek introduced a premium 3L boxed Rhône-style blend priced at USD $95, challenging long-held assumptions about quality and format.
Drinks that fit real life
Importantly, this growth aligns with broader changes in drinking behaviour. Research from Wine Market Council and NielsenIQ shows consumers are drinking fewer servings per occasion, spreading consumption across more days and choosing formats that offer portion control and flexibility.
This is not about trading down on quality. It is about convenience, freshness, portability and fit-for-occasion packaging. Weeknight wine, outdoor recreation, events, travel, shared accommodations and hospitality all favour smaller or more flexible formats.
Single-serve cans and multipacks have long been core to cider growth. What is notable now is that wine is following a similar path, just at a different pace and scale. For producers, recognizing the opportunity is far easier than acting on it. B.C. wineries and cideries face real structural constraints.
Production runs are small. Minimum order quantities for cans, ends, cartons and films remain high. Many alternative formats require specialized filling equipment or access to limited co-packing capacity.
At the same time, packaging costs remain volatile, with aluminum tariffs and broader supply chain pressures adding uncertainty. For small producers, one misstep can result in expensive inventory that does not move.
These realities mean alternative packaging cannot be approached as a complete replacement, but treated as a strategic extension, not a brand overhaul.
Format choice should be driven by where the product will sell and be consumed. A 250 ml or 355 ml can works for outdoor events, golf courses, lake activities and convenience retail. A 375 ml bottle fits hotel minibars, room service, airline or rail programs. Bag-in-box excels in hospitality by-the-glass programs, ski-season cabins and shared consumption settings.
Multipacks drive discovery, gifting and weekend occasions.
Starting small matters. One hero SKU in one alternative format allows producers to test demand. Crisp whites, rosés, chillable reds and flagship ciders tend to perform best in early trials. Limited or seasonal releases help manage risk.
Collaboration is also a powerful tool. Shared co-pack bookings, aggregated packaging purchases and coordinated material orders can help overcome minimum spends and reduce costs.
Finally, messaging matters. Alternative packaging succeeds when framed around convenience, freshness, portability and alignment with modern drinking habits. Consumers are choosing formats that better fit their lives.
Leeann Froese owns Town Hall Brands, a marketing and graphic design agency with 25+ years experience in food and hospitality branding. Visit townhallbrands.com.