(LATimes) - Wine in cans? It just doesn't track. You hear that unmistakable pop of a beer can opening — only it's wine inside, not beer. And it's not cheap plonk either, but some serious juice.

Though Australia's Barokes Wines was probably the first to try the idea, way back in 1996, the idea is just catching on here. And no outrage from Paul Hobbs, one of the world's most lauded winemakers, when asked about it.

"I love the idea of good wine in a can," Hobbs said. "Wish I had thought of it.It does indeed strike me as very practical, especially for folks on the go who in certain circumstances simply seek to enjoy fine products in an uncomplicated way, spontaneously — a trip to the coast, hiking, etc.In that respect, this concept is so exciting!"

Calm down. Nobody's putting Château d'Yquem or Romanée Conti into cans just yet. This new mode of packaging is meant for easy-drinking wines that won't be languishing in the closet for years.

Cans aren't novelty items anymore. Walk into Silver Lake Wine and they've got cans of Fiction Pinot Gris or Underwood Pinot Noir mixed in with their summer wines in bottles. At the most recent Restaurant Week, Faith & Flower wine director Jared Hooper served cans of Fiction white and red in brown paper bags, albeit with a stamped logo.

Made by Andrew Jones of Field Recordings in Paso Robles, Fiction is respected enough that Josef Centeno gave a wine dinner for Jones at Ludlow this summer. "He treats the grapes the same whether the wine is bottled or canned. He picks his grapes lean, and the acidity really shines, so his wines are great with food. They're approachable and interesting — and really well priced," says Centeno. In other words, craft wines for everyday drinking.