Cracking Down on the Rotten-Egg Odor in Canned Wine

With canned wine gaining more devotees every day, winemakers are keen on beverage packaging and process improvements that will enhance both the quality and shelf life of their canned products.

New research from Cornell University’s Department of Food Science will prove useful in that pursuit. The study’s findings illustrate the effects of can selection and sulfite levels on canned wine’s flavor and nose, over time.

The study comes at an opportune moment for winemakers, who have seen strong growth in canned wine sales and expect the trend to continue.

A Future Market Insights report estimates that the market share for canned wine will grow from $643 million in 2024 to $3.13 billion in 2034, delivering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.10%.

“Canned wine continues to deliver outsize growth to the wine category,” says Marian Leitner-Waldman, co-founder and CEO of Archer Roose, which provided funding for Cornell’s study.

Archer Roose’s premium wines include Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, rosé, and sparkling white and rosé wines. (Image: Archer Roose)

“The trends driving this growth are attributable to larger societal and demographic shifts,” she adds. Those shifts include moderation — consumers want to be able to control how much they drink — plus the convenience of drinking wine in recreational situations like the beach, poolside, or at a campsite.

“Canned wine allows us to fit into consumer lifestyles and where they’re already spending time vs. getting them into traditional wine settings,” Leitner-Waldman says. “Consumers are leaning into experiences. Our format allows us to meet them there and help to enhance those experiences.”

Archer Roose’s premium canned wines include Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, rosé, and sparkling white and rosé wines. Actress Elizabeth Banks is the company’s co-owner.

Staunching the stench.

The Cornell research paper, Hydrogen Sulfide Formation in Canned Wines: Variation Among Can Sources, originally appeared in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture. (Details are shown in Table at the bottom of this section.)

The research focus was the greater accumulation of hydrogen sulfide in canned wines vs. wines filled into glass bottles; hydrogen sulfide causes a rotten-egg odor in wine. The researchers believed the buildup of the gas within cans of wine, with the passage of time, was caused by a chemical reaction between the aluminum and sulfites in the wine.

Some winemakers add sulfites to wine as a preservative. Sulfites also occur naturally as a by-product of fermentation.

The Cornell study “evaluated the variability of H₂S [hydrogen sulfide] formation as a function of molecular and free SO₂ [sulfites] among commercial can liners and potential causes for observed differences,” the researchers wrote.

The team took five commercial wines, adjusted them to various levels of free sulfites, molecular sulfites, and acidity (pH), and then filled the wines into aluminum cans with three different liners. The liner materials were bisphenol A [BPA] epoxy and two versions of BPA non-intent [BPA-NI] epoxy.

A total of 270 can samples were tested at four months or eight months. “Molecular SO₂ was the best predictor of H₂S formation following long-term storage,” the researchers determined.=

The team also conducted accelerated aging studies with 10 can types from five suppliers. The liners were acrylic, BPA epoxy, or BPA-NI epoxy.

A 2020 German Riesling with high molecular sulfites was used in the accelerated aging studies. Measurements of hydrogen sulfide levels after three and 14 days showed “considerable variation” in production of the gas, even when cans had the same type of liner.

The takeaway for winemakers, including Archer Roose, is that the liner’s resistance to reacting with sulfites in wine, together with the liner’s initial thickness, is “critical” to canned wines’ stability.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production by liner (X1, Y2, and Z2) for each of the five Treatment III (high molecular SO2) wines after four months of storage. Error bars represent one standard error of three technical replicates. The asterisks indicate p < 0.05 (analysis of variance). X1, Y2, Z2: X, Y, and Z signify the can manufacturer; 1 and 2 signify the liner type (BPA epoxy and BPA-NI epoxy, respectively). For example, Y2 indicates a BPA-NI epoxy can from manufacturer Y.

The role of can selection.

In addition to helping define the appropriate sulfite level in canned wines, the study highlights the importance of can selection in preserving shelf life. Winemakers need to limit sulfites in wines intended for canning vs. wines that will be bottled.

However, achieving the best canned wine composition is a conundrum. Sulfites, which form as a product of sulfur oxidation, help prevent wine spoilage. But as the study shows, sulfites can also react with aluminum and cause spoilage if levels are too high. The challenge for winemakers is to find the optimal balance for canned wine, assuring both quality and reasonable shelf life.

“While canned wine uses significantly less sulfur than bottled wine, sulfur is essential to maintain freshness and provide a protective buffer to the wine,” says Jan Kotowski-Chang, Archer Roose’s chief operating officer.

“The study’s findings are revolutionizing production methods across the industry by providing specific targets for sulfite levels during the production of canned wine,” she adds.

Cornell’s findings are also influencing packaging choices for canned wine producers. “To enhance shelf life and flavor preservation, we have optimized our production processes by ensuring consistent application of the can liner. We work with specific partners that utilize the latest technology to maintain this consistency of their liner application,” Kotowski-Chang explains.

“We avoid using flavor additives, as these can degrade the liner and reduce shelf life,” she says. “We focus on balancing sulfites and pH levels to achieve the best and longest shelf life. This approach helps maintain the integrity and longevity of our wine.”

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Editor’s note: Our reporting on the Cornell team’s research is based on an open-access article (Sheehan MJ, Suarez JHR, Benefeito MM, Goddard JM, and Sacks GL. 2024. Hydrogen sulfide formation in canned wines: Variation among can sources. Am J Enol Vitic 75:0750003), which is licensed under Creative Commons’ CC BY 4.0.[KC1]