“Fundamentally, we view wine as more than just a beverage; it’s about coming together around the table,” said Marian Leitner-Waldman, CEO and founder of fast-growing canned wine brand Archer Roose.
With the holiday season just around the corner and full tables in mind, Archer Roose recently announced a partnership with José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen (WCK), with the intent to provide meaningful provisions for those in need around the world. From now through the end of the year, for every four-pack of Archer Roose wine sold through their website or any retailer, a meal will be donated to WCK. Regardless of how many cans are sold, Archer Roose has pledged to contribute at least 1,000 meals.
“At World Central Kitchen, we see every meal as a way to bring comfort, connection and hope to communities in need,” said Tunde Wackman, WCK’s chief development officer. “This partnership with Archer Roose Wines helps extend that impact, allowing us to reach even more people during this holiday season.”
Since 2010, WCK has created hundreds of community relief centers feeding thousands in need, and has served more than 500 million nourishing meals around the world, including at current locations in the Philippines, Jamaica, Ukraine, the Middle East and more. (The Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation has also provided major support for WCK.)
Leitner-Waldman said partnering with WCK made sense in reinforcing the connection between food and wine. “José is a titan of the industry and of heart; he’s always one of the first people on the ground when disaster strikes, and we’re honored to be partnered with his foundation.”
Since grabbing wine lovers’ attention with the arrival of co-owner and chief creative officer Elizabeth Banks, the Boston-based Archer Roose, founded in 2014 by Leitner-Waldman and her husband, David Waldman, has been capturing the attention of curious wine drinkers and growing rapidly. It has established partnerships and collaborations with Jet Blue, Princess Cruises and major entertainment venues, including Regal Cinemas, BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. Leitner-Waldman said the company has grown by more than 50 percent over the past year, and every one of its SKUs is up double digits in sales this year.
But for Leitner-Waldman, growth comes with responsibility. “We’ve had an incredible growth year, but it’s not about how much you have; it’s about who you share with. And it’s our obligation as we grow to give back and take care of the community,” she said.
Leitner-Waldman noted that Archer Roose has a history of doing philanthropic endeavors, but its partnership with WCK is one of the more formal programs they’ve done, and they hope to scale it and do it every year. “We just launched the campaign, but are already seeing strong sales across retail partners and are on track to donate thousands of meals this holiday season.”
To donate or learn more, visit donate.wck.org
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