I have three women in my life. One is 33, one is 3, and the other is 1.5. If I could name a favorite pastime of ours (being Houston natives), it would be going to the Miller Outdoor Theatre. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it. Whether it be for a casual date or with the family, the setting is perfect. Show and concert goers are surrounded by a lake and parks, and can sit for free on a steep grassy hill that allows one to look down on the stage in front of the covered ticketed seats. On a beautiful night in the fall the setting can be somewhat surreal. All around you are blankets and lawn-chairs, coolers full of wine, cheese, and take-out, and the occasional frisbee or puppy (as my 3-year-old affectionately says), all to the sights and sounds of music, dance, and art. Then the starts come out. It’s perfect.

When we started going a few years back, our wine consumption was from a solo cup, and that was if we were lucky enough to remember bringing a cork screw. Stelvin enclosures (twist tops) eased the pain on the hill, while chasing down a runaway toddler, but it wasn’t enough. Call me a hippy if you want, but drinking out of plastic cups affects the taste of wine (in my opinion), mainly because drinking wine has a lot to do with your nose. No matter how good the wine, you can smell the plastic when you dive in for your next sip. We also tried the plastic wine glasses, and while they were better and made us feel “oh so cool”, the disapproving looks from our beach-towel-neighbors was embarrassing. I know I know, “how dare we bring glass here?”

Here’s the solution: next time you go, take your fine wine in a can. Take Alloy Grenache Rosé or Alloy Pinot Noir. Both are made by Andrew Jones of Field Recordings, and The Fabelist Wine Company, and while I know there are other wine-cans out in the market, these two are a step above the rest. Both offering 3 glasses a can, how could you go wrong? Perfect for a little sharing, and not too much if you wanna be selfish and go solo, the wine is simply… pleasurable. It’s not trying to be Provance or Red Burgundy, it’s trying to be fresh, tasty, and totally enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong… it’s not crappy box wine quality. These wines have acid, freshness, balance, and fruit. Perfect for your next bonfire on the beach, coozie, or concert on the lawn.