Odell begins shipping canned wine to retailers

FORT COLLINS — Odell Brewing Co. expects to begin seeing its first-ever run of canned wine on store shelves as soon as this week.

The first run of the “OBC Wine Project” includes a red blend, a white Pinot Gris blend and two versions of rosé, one with and without carbonation. The grapes are sourced from the same areas in Oregon and Washington State where Odell sources its hops, the company said in a statement.

Spokeswoman Kristen Wood told BizWest that the first batches of canned product were placed on trucks earlier this week, and should begin to appear on retailer shelves in Colorado as soon as this week. The cans are sold individually.

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The first four wine blends will be distributed throughout the summer. In the next several months, Wood said the company will start looking at sourcing crops for the 2021 line of wines.

Odell is also continuing to build a wine-tasting room onto the winery, which is adjacent to its main brewery in north Fort Collins. Wood said the room likely will open sometime in 2021.

“It’s something we’re 100% invested in,” she said. “… This is definitely part of our long-term strategy of just growing our portfolio.”

In particular, Wood said the wines are a way to appeal to customers who want to enjoy a brewery experience with friends, but can’t drink beer due to its gluten content. She said the brewery committed to having at least one gluten-free beverage on tap at any given moment during the winter.

Odell reported producing 132,396 barrels of beer in 2019, according to the Brewer’s Association, good for a 5% increase in sales from the year prior.