In the Can: Shady Lane’s New Brio Comes in More Portable Form

At Shady Lane Cellars, staff has been busy not just bottling wines, but canning them, too.

The Leelenau Peninsula-based winery is preparing to debut a new brand under the Shady Lane Cellars label July 1. It’s called Brio and will feature not only bottles, but cans of wine for the first time.

“Brio means enthusiastic, vibrant, bright, exciting,” said Rick DeBlasio, general manager. “It felt like a fun and whimsical name. By definition, it’s a one-word description of how we talk about cool climate wines. It encapsulates it all.”

Brio by Shady Lane Cellars carries the tagline “Wine with vivacity from Michigan’s Leelenau Peninsula.” Debuting at the winery first, DeBlasio said the winery intends to expand access to these wines through wholesale across Michigan and later in areas of Indiana and Illinois.

“Brio is meant for the beach, boat, bike rides, camping, even book clubs,” said DeBlasio. “And it’s still 100 percent estate-grown, handcrafted from the ground up. The packaging is new, but it doesn’t mean our mission has changed.”

Shady Lane has been contemplating expanding with cans for some time.

“It’s really accessible,” DeBlasio says. “It’s packing size, sustainable, easily recyclable and offers more options for an active lifestyle. You can mix and match varieties.”

To start, Brio by Shady Lane Cellars will come in three canned varieties: Rose, Bubbly Vibes and Cider. Each can is equivalent to two glasses of wine — about equal to a half-bottle. Cost is $7 each, or buy them by the 4-pack at the winery.

Brio by Shady Lane Cellars will also feature one bottled variety — Brio Red.

For more information, visit www.shadylanecellars.com.

—Information submitted by Shady Lane Cellars