Ardagh supplies wine-specific cans for alcohol-free launch

NETHERLANDS – Ardagh Metal Packaging has supplied a 250 millilitre aluminium can for BarLoca, an alcohol-free wine by Royal Swinkels, with the format now available in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

BarLoca Bianco and Rosso are sold in a semi-matt can created specifically for wines. 

The design keeps light and air out and includes an interior lining engineered to preserve the quality and taste of wine, according to the packaging provider. 

Wine is sensitive to oxidation and light exposure, both of which degrade aroma compounds and colour over time, making barrier performance central to can viability in the category.

Single-Serve Format Opens New Consumption Occasions

Ardagh Metal Packaging said the can offers consumers the on-the-go convenience of aluminium packaging, describing the material as lightweight, unbreakable and easy to transport, chill and store. 

The company added that the cans deliver the convenience associated with single-serve formats. 

Ardagh Metal Packaging said it is the only can manufacturer in Europe to produce cans specifically for the wine sector.

Brand Cites Portion Control and Portability

Flemming Morth, head of New Drinks at Royal Swinkels, said the can opened up new occasions because it was single serve and easy to take along. 

He noted that the 250 millilitre size made it easy to pour just one glass, switch between red and white, and have wine at moments when a full bottle did not make sense. 

He added that together with Ardagh Metal Packaging, the company found a can that preserved wine quality and stood out on the shelf. 

Gerlof Toenhake, director of marketing and business development for Ardagh Metal Packaging Europe, said BarLoca was an innovative alcohol-free wine concept that deserved a packaging solution reflecting that innovation, adding that combining Royal Swinkels’ beverage expertise with the company’s experience in wine cans brought the product to market in a format combining quality and convenience.

No- and Low-Alcohol Demand Reshapes Beverage Packaging

The launch arrives as the beverage market shifts toward no- and low-alcohol products. BarLoca is made from Southern Italian wine dealcoholised at Royal Swinkels’ brewery in Lieshout. 

Morth said the company set out to do what alcohol-free beer had done for beer drinkers, wanting wine drinkers to keep the wine experience when choosing to skip alcohol. 

In the alcohol-free beer category, Bero launched its signature pilsner in a glass bottle alongside existing aluminium can packaging. 

Krones also spotlighted filling and processing technology targeting alcohol-free beer growth at BrauBeviale 2026.

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