Our Story

It all began not in Rome, but in Milan, when Rob Malin walked into Andrea Marchesi and Lorenzo Canali's wine shop, "Ciao ragazzi!"

Sharing stories over a glass of wine, Rob noticed something striking – in Italy, good wine was abundant and often enjoyed in sustainable ways, like boxes and refillable containers. It was a far cry from the single-use glass bottles he was used to.

As the conversation flowed, they stumbled upon a startling truth – those heavy glass bottles created a massive carbon footprint, contributing to climate change and impacting the very vineyards producing the wine they all loved.

The realisation was sobering, but also inspiring. They envisioned a world where enjoying delicious wine didn't have to cost the earth.

This vision is what drives When in Rome. And with Rob's finance background, Andrea's wine expertise (he has a PhD in it, so you know he knows his stuff), and Lorenzo's knack for finding amazing Italian wines, they're the perfect team to make that vision a reality.


Our Journey... so far

2017 – From a farmer’s market stall to the big leagues! We landed our first retail listing with Waitrose, bringing premium Bag-in-Box (BiB) wine to the UK before anyone else dared.

2021 – The canned wine revolution has arrived! While the world clings to single-use glass and PET, we dropped our range of premium, planet-friendly canned wines—small but mighty, perfect for on-the-go sipping without the guilt.

2022 – BiB and cans were just our base camp. Next up? Tackling the Everest of the wine world—the 75cl bottle. Our answer? The world’s first supermarket-listed paper wine bottle. Less carbon, same great taste. Sustainability never looked (or tasted) so good.

2023 – We made it official: B Corp Certified. Proof that When in Rome isn’t just about amazing wine—it’s about better choices for people and the planet. Cheers to that.

2024 – From supermarket shelves to festivals, sports stadiums, and travel hotspots—When in Rome is everywhere. More listings, more impact, and our growth strategy delivered a 10% carbon footprint reduction too.

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