Wine on Tap
Wine on tap, you’ve probably heard of it before but is it worthy of the hype? We visited a Seattle wine bar boasting 6 wines on tap to find out for ourselves.
Wine on tap doesn’t call for a fancy eno-machine, it’s just wine coming in a keg through a tap, like beer.
After trying several wines on tap we’re happy to announce they don’t taste any different than wine out of the bottle (except for a frothy moment right out of the tap). So why hasn’t this method of wine delivery taken off? We don’t know. It should.
Does Wine on Tap Age Well?
Technically speaking, wine in a keg should last a long time.
First, it’s in a larger vessel. It’s common knowledge that large format bottles keep wine fresher for longer. A standard cylinder keg of wine is equivalent to 8 double magnums of wine, which is bigger than a Nebuchadnezzar: the largest standard bottle of wine available.
Second, it’s dark. Light is bad for both white and red wine. Wine on tap is stored in a light-proof vessel, completely in the dark.
Third, there’s no oxygen. A keg will keep wine similar to a screw top bottle.
How Much Wine in a Wine Keg?
A standard cylinder keg of wine contains 5 gallons or 24 bottles of wine. There are also pony kegs available, which can hold 32 bottles of wine. When full, a cylinder keg weighs 58 lbs.
Ecologically Sustainable?
24 empty glass bottles weigh approximately 36 lbs and an empty wine cylinder keg weighs only 7.5 lbs. So the difference in cost of shipping that extra mass around is substaintial. Additionally, cylinder kegs are stainless steel and reusable. Yep. Sustainable.
Get Your Own Wine on Tap
We all want one. So what do you need to do to have your own keg of wine?
First, if you’re buying a kegerator, make sure to use all stainless steel fittings. Henri Schock at Bottlehouse says chrome and other metal fittings will make wine taste awful. He also recommends setting your keg up with tubing that is UV sensitive to ensure that your wine doesn’t get any light damage.
Perhaps the biggest problem you’ll have is acquiring a keg of wine for private use. Currently, the TTB has to approve all alcohol sales in the United States and the sale of a 5 gallon container of wine is a gray area. The winery has to be bonded to sell large format wine by the gallon. If they are, you can get a keg filled from your favorite winery.