Archer Roose Wines Generates Eight-Figure Revenue in Cans

By Amara Osei

Archer Roose Wines raised $350,000 in a 2016 friends-and-family round, began selling cans in 2017 and generates eight-figure revenue, founder and CEO Marian Leitner-Waldman said. The Boston-based company is fully remote, has 15 to 20 employees and works with five winemakers worldwide. Constellation Brands took a minority stake in 2022, which Leitner-Waldman said brought the business validation.

Why did Leitner-Waldman choose cans?

Leitner-Waldman, 39, studied international studies, ran side hustles and loved wine before working at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. She later joined the Global Partnership for Education, based at the World Bank.

Her husband, David Waldman, had founded his own winery in the Republic of Georgia but was no longer involved when Archer Roose began. She said: “I really wanted to answer the question of how to have a glass of wine without opening a bottle.”

In 2013, while still at the World Bank, Leitner-Waldman found research showing that packaging and distribution account for a substantial share of wine's carbon footprint. She saw an opportunity to reduce that footprint by changing the format. For bottles priced below $25, she said, shipping and packaging typically cost more than the wine inside.

Leitner-Waldman considered bag-in-box packaging but rejected it because cardboard and the inner bag were not recyclable everywhere. She wanted to use existing infrastructure. She chose aluminum, which she said could be recycled repeatedly and was accepted by almost all local recycling programs. She also cited more beverage categories moving into cans and consumers seeking individual serving sizes and convenience.

How did Archer Roose secure its first customers?

Leitner-Waldman repeatedly pressure-tested the idea because canned wine still seemed unconventional, and she struggled to secure a distributor. A sorority sister working for a New York wine importer and distributor eventually agreed to work with her. She left her World Bank job in summer 2015 after the company had a supply chain and first distributor in place.

Archer Roose Wines first sold boxed wine; canned wine followed later. Leitner-Waldman and Waldman had just married, and he had just earned an MBA as they moved to Boston for his job. She redirected savings earmarked for her own MBA into the company, then raised $350,000 from friends and family in 2016.

How did Chile shape the wine?

David Waldman proposed sourcing from winemakers worldwide, shipping wine to the United States in flexitanks and packaging it there. Leitner-Waldman said Chile's wine quality was outstanding and its similar time zone simplified collaboration. The couple bought nearly every Chilean wine available below $25, tasted them all and kept careful notes.

They traced their preferred bottles backward to the grape source, producer and winemaker. Leitner-Waldman said most Chilean winemakers initially showed no interest in an alternative-packaging brand. Luca Hodgkinson eventually connected with the concept and agreed to take a chance on Archer Roose.

Why did Archer Roose study can liners?

Investors criticized Leitner-Waldman for the time, energy and money she put into product development. She argued that wine is a treat and must taste good to be worth buying. She designed Archer Roose Wines for consumers who want wine on a Wednesday night without opening a full bottle. She viewed the ritual as a habit leading to repeat purchase, mass distribution and volume.

Leitner-Waldman identified a research gap in how different wines interact with can liners over time. Archer Roose Wines worked with Cornell food science professor Gavin Sacks by supplying cans for existing research and later helping fund dedicated studies. The company found through its own research that each wine variety required a different approach. It began selling cans in 2017.

Why did beer distributors matter?

Leitner-Waldman reasoned that beer distributors offered a similar account universe and route to market and would be incentivized to adopt a different way of working. A brewer told the founders that beer must be brewed differently for cans than for bottles. The company's canned wine then moved through those distributors.

What did Constellation Brands' investment change?

Constellation Brands' 2022 minority investment brought what Leitner-Waldman called validation. She said outsiders struggled to classify a wine company distributed through beer distributors and sold in cans, partly because she was not from the wine industry.

After its first fundraising round, Archer Roose found that boxed wine made with its preferred grapes cost too much for consumers new to the brand. The company refined its product-market fit and go-to-market approach.

Leitner-Waldman said category builders must look beyond what a company can afford to what it will need next. Archer Roose applied that principle as it evolved from boxed wine into canned products.

How does the family structure the company?

Leitner-Waldman is CEO, and David Waldman is chairman. They decided only one spouse would work full time so employees would not report to two married people. During the pandemic, Leitner-Waldman reached out to Elizabeth Banks, who joined in 2021 as chief creative officer and co-owner. Leitner-Waldman describes Archer Roose Wines as an extension of family life.

What will Archer Roose add in 2027?

Archer Roose Wines plans to add more lower-ABV options in 2027, responding to customer feedback. The company also wants to support the wider wine industry as interest in alternative formats grows.

Leitner-Waldman said the company will determine how to share its intellectual property with others building the category. She added: “I want to compete on the quality of our wine, on our brand, and on our route to market. I don't want consumers to ever feel like buying canned wine is a gamble.”

The 2027 lower-ABV launch will test whether Archer Roose Wines can scale its research-heavy model without making canned wine feel like a gamble to consumers. The company enters that expansion with eight-figure revenue, 15 to 20 employees and relationships with five winemakers worldwide.