Wine on Tap

Have you heard the latest trend for vino? It’s “wine on tap”. Instead of utilizing a bottle, some wine is now housed in stainless steel kegs for distribution and sale, just like beer. Each keg holds approximately 26 bottles worth and wine is pushed through the container by gases such as nitrogen and argon, providing a blanket over the wine, protecting it from oxidation. Cost savings are immense: no bottle, closure, or carton to dispose of and much less pricey to transport, as the same amount of wine in bottles weighs significantly more. Only young wine requiring minimal aging works best in these. Is the consumer on board with this concept? If the number of restaurants, hotels and bars across North America embracing this idea are any indication, I’d say yes.