Related article: DUG Creates Community Through To-Grow Boxes The Colorado-based Ah-So team, comprised of Carrie Chiappetta, Dustin Chiappetta, and Carlos Lopez de la laCalle, have crafted the first-ever Spanish-wine-in-a-can experience. The group geeks out over wine, which is exactly what you want in a team that is creating a delicious garnish to your summer plans. In addition to loving wine, Ah-So values community, and as Carrie is currently serving as an ICU nurse and has been working COVID floors during the pandemic, the team has pledged to donate 10 percent of all 2020 profits to Nurses House. 
OUT FRONT had a chance to sample the entire four-pack, and between the preservation of aroma, the embodiment of the flavors, and the regional, Spanish essence that comes through each sip, we knew we had to learn more about the team at Ah-So. From canning to community, find out how this brand is making an impact, every step of the way. What were the reasons you got into the wine industry and what are the reasons you stay in? Dustin Chiappetta, co-founder: People. I remember the first time that I met a winemaker, that first time I walked a vineyard, and breaking bread with the family that makes the wine and sharing their table. It’s my passion, and I am so fortunate that it has become my profession. I am so lucky that I get to share our story!
Related article: Kickstarter for Queer Champagne Company What is unique about the process of crafting, canning, and creating a wine that is delivered in a can rather than a bottle? Carlos Lopez de la laCalle, co-founder: Honestly, the entire process is the same to start; it all starts in the vineyard. We farm the exact same way, never using pesticides, practicing organic farming techniques, hand harvesting; everything is the same. The result is good wine, and if you start with good wine, you can’t go wrong. The can is unique in the sense that the wine never sees light, and you can remove all oxygen, allowing us to can with little to no sulfur. It is an amazing capsule! How did you decide on the flavor profiles of each wine you offer: red, white, rose, and bubbly? Carrie Chiappetta, co-founder: The most important thing for me has been that the wines taste as good coming out of the can as they do out of a bottle. I desperately wanted something that I could take with me outdoors but that kept the integrity of the wines and was also delicious. I was lucky enough to know that I already loved the profile of the wines produced by Carlos and his family, and our true challenge was simply to ensure that the canning process didn’t disturb what was already amazing. If you were to introduce only one of your wines to a new customer, which would you choose, and how do you feel that is most representative of your selection? Carrie: What a hard decision! But, right now I would probably either introduce either bubbles or rosé. Bubbles because I am currently absolutely obsessed with them and all of the amazing ways to drink bubbles on a regular basis (bubbles don’t have to be for a celebration—they can be every day)! At the same time, I think that I might introduce the rosé since it was our original wine, rosé screams summer and warm weather, and it really represents the heart of what we have set out to do. The best part is both of these wines would allow me to share something delightful with someone else, and that is really what we embody at our core. What was the initial response when you told your peers that you were making a canned wine, and has that changed at all since the evolution of the industry? Carlos: The look of, ‘You are going to do what?’ We are the first family in Spain to make canned wine in a very traditional wine region, so we raised A LOT of eyebrows. There are still many in Spain who wonder why we would do such a thing; why tinker with something that’s been done one way for generations? We see the marriage of technology and tradition; our goal is not just to make canned wine but the best canned wine. We are happy to see the evolution of the industry to quality canned wine and excited to be on that forefront. 
Can you talk about what sustainable and responsible farming looks like and why was that a cornerstone of the company? Carrie: I have been struck with how concerned many of us are with what type of food we put in our bodies but then will drink wine that we know very little about—what is in it, how it’s farmed, where it actually comes from. Most people, myself included, don’t typically have an easy way to find out how their wines are produced and take a lot for granted. I wanted to be able to share an organic, thoughtfully, and responsibly-made wine with my friends that I knew was produced in a way that met my standards for ethical treatment of the land. Carlos’ family has been stewards of their land for five generations, and their exceptional practices make a difference in every can.
Carlos: For me, my goal is to leave the land in better shape than how I received it. This is our family philosophy in farming, and it drives everything we do. We understand that what we do today will have an effect on tomorrow. We never use herbicides or pesticides; we use only organic practices, and are committed to decreasing our carbon footprint with manual farming. What do you want people to know about your mission and values around inclusivity and minority representation within your company? Carrie: I would want people to know that inclusivity, diversity, and philanthropy are not just things that we do as a company but are truly values we each hold as human beings.
Each of us who came to the table to start this project wanted to ensure that the nature of the company reflected our principles and beliefs from start to finish. We each believe that there is no stronger bond than building a diverse community where each person is heard, acknowledged, and celebrated. Wine happens to be the vehicle that we have to start those conversations.
What else do you want people to know about Ah-So? Dustin: With Ah-So, we started because something we loved (wine) wasn’t as portable and consumable as we wanted it to be with our active, outdoorsy Colorado lifestyle, and we couldn’t see why. We decided we weren’t going to settle, and we never take no for an answer, so when people told us it couldn’t be done, we set out to prove otherwise. We are trying to break the mold, and we want people to know canned wine is not the same as it used to be: Ah-So is thoughtful; it’s high-end; it’s high-technology; it’s simply the best of the best—in a can. We simply want to make and are trying to make the very best canned wine available.
Photos provided by Ah-So
