Little Big Town’s famous lyric is now carefully crafted in Walla Walla
If you’re a country music fan, chances are, you’ve heard Grammy award-winning Little Big Town’s lyric “why don’t we do a little day drinking” time and time again. The popular song came out in 2014, spending time at the top of the charts and ultimately getting stuck in listeners’ heads ever since.
That same hit song was the inspiration behind a line of canned wines — Day Drinking — which are carefully crafted in Walla Walla, Wash. “When your partner has a Grammy-nominated song that asks ‘why don’t we do a little day drinking?’ the inspiration comes easily,” says Day Drinking’s winemaker Hal Landvoigt.
As the ready-to-drink category for alcoholic beverages grows, wine-based options still make up only a small percentage of the offerings on the market. The concept and unique flavors offered by the Day Drinking line is helping to grow the category, proving that convenient, canned wine choices can still be beautifully crafted and wildly delicious.
Winemaker Hal Landvoigt, who has worked as a winemaker in Washington for more than 20 years, brings his decades of experience to making the five canned Day Drinking flavors: watermelon rosé, rosé bubbles, southern peach, black cherry and pontoon punch. “I travel to wine regions around the world several times a year in search of unique wines and grapes, so my winemaking experience spans across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California, as well as Chile, France, Italy, Spain and even South Africa,” he says.
A key to Landvoigt’s craft is not being afraid of trying something new. “The last few years, I’ve focused some of my work on non-traditional formats which I’ve enjoyed, as I pride myself on having a unique, unpretentious winemaking style and an enthusiasm to learn about new things.”
With Landvoigt’s keen sense of adventure and experimentation in winemaking, the fun, approachable canned wines by Little Big Town were developed. “Karen, Kimberly, Jimi and Phillip took a very hands-on approach to the winemaking process,” he says, speaking of the members of the band. “We quickly bonded over our shared passion for wine on our first project, Four Cellars by Little Big Town, which focused on higher-end, small-lot Washington wines.” The Four Cellars wines are crafted in partnership with Browne Family Vineyards in Walla Walla, offering exclusive shipments two times per year through club membership.
From there, Landvoigt says the conversation was expanded. The group dug in to discover the foods that the members of Little Big Town enjoy most, along with the activities they enjoy with family and friends. Through that, the ‘Day Drinking’ lifestyle was uncovered, giving way to a more approachable option for enjoying wine in any setting as the band members love to do. “Canned wine gave us the opportunity to explore the ‘Day Drinking’ lifestyle and bring it to life,” he says.
And as for the decision to put wine in a can? It was the plan from day one. Day Drinking is made from grapes sourced around the world. The finished product is then canned in vibrant packaging, allowing wine lovers to take it on picnics or hikes, or to enjoy it at barbecues, the pool or the beach.
“I strongly believe that the winemaking behind a $5 can of rosé should be just as intentional as making a $50 bottle of premium cabernet sauvignon,” says Landvoigt. “Canned wine allows you to enjoy wine anywhere and anytime, which was important to the band.”
