Constellation Brands, the leading beverage alcohol company, announced the purchase of a minority stake in the Archer Roose wine brand. This investment was made through Constellation’s venture capital group as part of Constellation’s Focus on Female Founders initiative, which aims to directly increase female representation and access to funding in the industry by investing $100 million in companies led or founded by women within five years.
In 2015, Marian Leitner-Waldman and David teamed up to make the first purchases. After the first few months, they had the idea of carrying their entire collection under the name Archer Roose. The aim was to demonstrate to consumers that they could have access to an expensive wine at an affordable price. To offer wines from the most renowned regions around the world, from Provence to the Casablanca Valley, they created the ‘Traveling Vineyard’ by partnering with small, adventurous winemakers who preserve terroir and approach viticulture with craftsmanship and deep respect for the environment. Driven by the idea of connecting with wine consumers through humor, actress and producer Elizabeth Banks joined the team as investor and creative director.
“They have made luxury wine distinctively fun and accessible to consumers who are curious to explore this category,” said Mallika Monteiro, executive vice president and chief growth, strategy and digital officer at Constellation Brands. “We believe Archer Roose is well positioned to grow the category by introducing premium wine into this segment through its welcoming, thoughtful and honest brand,” she added.
“We created Archer Roose because we wanted to have a better glass of wine. Our consumers can discover wine regions and varietals while knowing what to expect from our products: sparkling wines and whites that are sustainably crafted and exceptionally delicious,” said Marian Leitner-Waldman, the co-founder of Archer Rails.
Archer Roose strives to offer consumers high quality wines in affordable formats. Its luxury canned wines are offered in a number of crisp and refreshing varieties including Bubbly, Bubbly Rosé, Rosé, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Malbec. It also comprises an award-winning portfolio of wines that have been featured in Wine Spectator. The brand is marketed in 46 U.S. states.
Constellation’s Focus on Female Founders initiative is designed to make significant investments in companies founded and led by women doing disruptive and innovative work across the beverage alcohol industry. Since its launch in 2018, the Focus on Female Founders initiative has shifted Ventures’ portfolio mix from approximately 20% to nearly 50% female-owned.
