Ashley Hausman is a Master of Wine, a sales representative for Old World Wine Imports, and the chair of the Legislative and Business Development Committee for the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board. 

The crack of the can. It’s such a distinctive sound that entire studies have been devoted to its ability to set in motion a series of sensory expectations. In short, that satisfying crack is the sound of summer, of lightness and sunlight, fun and friendship, Coca Cola and craft beer…and fine wine? Absolutely.

Canned wine is hardly new; it’s been on the market for years, taking up ever more shelf space at your local booze shop as drinkers have embraced its worth for toting to concerts, parks, campgrounds, barbecues, and boat rides.

If you aren’t yet a believer in the canned-wine gospel, you don’t have to look very far to find one of the more impressive iterations on the market: Canterris, by the Centennial State’s own Colterris Wines. Colterris began making wine in Palisade in 2001 with a mission to identify and nurture Colorado’s unique terroir. Its grapes are 100-percent estate grown, meaning they come from vineyards that Colterris owns and tends to ensure quality at every step of the process.

Canterris may have a playful name, but this vino isn’t cutting corners. The cans are vintage-dated to capture the special character and identity of each Centennial State vintage, and the red wine is oak-aged. Even the packaging—attractive, slender 250-ml cans—is more elevated than standard, bulky 375-ml options. Most importantly, all three canned wines are delicious, refreshing, and interesting to drink.

The 2016 Canterris White, a blend of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, offers a fresh medley of yellow apple, lime zest, and white peach on the palate—you’ll want to crush the can in one gulp. The 2016 Canterris Rose of Cabernet Sauvignon presents an attractive bouquet of white blossoms and cherries on the palate followed by a big bowl of fresh raspberries and mint with just a hint of cream on the finish. And the 2015 Canterris Red, a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, promises plush boysenberry and cassis flavors with mellow, round tannins; a touch of oak lends itself to warm vanilla spice. My recommendation: Serve the white and rosé good and cold, and the red with a bit of a chill.

A Canterris 4-pack retails at around $22 and can be found at shops across Denver, from destination spots like Argonaut Liquor and Molly’s Spirits to neighborhood spots like Mayfair Liquors, Grape Expectations, and Bonnie Brae Liquor.