{image1}Canned wine is nothing new. In fact, U.S. wineries started canning wine in 1936, the year after beer was first produced in cans. Although canned vino was introduced almost every decade after, it never really caught on, reportedly due to quality control issues including moldy and cloudy wine.

Producers of today's canned wines say they have solved the previous problems and, like the box of wine, are finally reaching consumers. Glomming onto Red Bull's popularity, the makers of canned wine strive to appeal to clubgoers by packaging it in a similar 11.2-ounce can, which is about a glass and a half of wine.

Cans of wine have a resin-based lining to protect the taste and bouquet, and have a five-year shelf life.

Downer Wine & Spirits, 2638 N. Downer Ave., sells cans of Aussie wine, a brand from Southeast Australia. A four-can pack of Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay (Aussie also makes a sweet white variety) costs $10. Aussie cans are big sellers for the store, especially during the summer months when people attend outdoor events like Jazz in the Park.

"Cans of wine are a really nice tasting, fun kind of party wine," says Downer Wine employee Joe Pierce.

Other businesses, like the New World Wine Company, 632 E. Ogden and 322 N. Water St. (which holds its official grand opening Aug. 18), are less smitten with the canned wine concept and don't stock it. "We didn't think the quality was all that great," said one New World Wine employee.

Makers of canned wine struggle to avoid being lumped in the wine cooler category. Consumers tend to associate the two because both come in single servings, but canned wines usually contain a higher quality wine.

Niebaum-Coppola Winery, owned by film director Francis Ford Coppola, sells its Sofia blanc de blancs sparkling wine -- named for daughter and fellow director -- by the can.

The winery plans to sell 50,000 cases of Sofia this year, but rather than target the usual liquor stores and wine shops, has sold the sleek pink cans mostly to high-end nightclubs.

Aside from clubs, Sofia is marketed to sunbathers as the perfect poolside drink since glass is a no-no.

Milwaukee's Allison Wyatt started drinking cans of wine this summer, but says people usually assume she is drinking something else.

"Most of the time people ask me if I'm drinking a wine cooler or a Red Bull, but once I tell them what it is, they seem interested," she says. "It's just easier to grab and go."