This text is a part of an interview collection known as Instruments of the Commerce, a column that includes expert-approved suggestions, methods, and product suggestions. Food52 earns an affiliate fee on qualifying purchases of the merchandise we hyperlink to.
Should you consider that boxed wine cannot be top quality, Woody Hambrecht and Ross Dawkins are right here to vary that. Profession winemakers and decades-long buddies, the pair are the co-owners of Ami Ami, a direct-to-consumer model centered on offering high-quality, eco-conscious, and scrumptious boxed (sure, boxed) French wine.
“Most wine manufacturers are hyperfocused on the wine, within the phrases of ‘Let’s lead with which [vine] row it got here from or what brix it was picked at,‘ however that is not the core focus for us” Ross defined. “We have now three many years of expertise making high-quality wines around the globe. You’ll be able to belief us. We needn’t clarify the nuances of each single factor to you. We’re making an attempt to interrupt down these limitations of pretension round wine and make it extra inclusive and accessible.”
When the duo determined to create the model—named after their daughters who’re each named Sophie and are finest buddies, as ami is French for “a good friend”—they knew they wished to create a high quality, high-end product that may be handy, accessible, and memorable, whatever the event. Most significantly, they wished to package deal their wine in a manner that was sustainable. “Greater than two-thirds of glass in america shouldn’t be recycled and results in a landfill,” they write on their website. Not solely that, the carbon footprint of manufacturing and transporting glass is immense. This impressed the shift from extra conventional glass packaging to boxed. In spite of everything, it creates half of the carbon footprint and is extra environment friendly and simpler to move.
Primarily based in Healdsburg, Calif., the pair are deep within the coronary heart of wine nation. With this, and their apparent roles within the wine group, comes a schedule filled with wine tastings, winery visits, and countless internet hosting—whether or not it is a yard barbecue, banquet, or yard joyful hour. “I really like internet hosting,” Woody stated. “I have been internet hosting for so long as I can bear in mind; it’s very in-built my household tradition. I reside on this lovely ranch, we develop a variety of our personal meals, we increase pigs and chickens, and now we have orchards. So, we’re capable of make the most of a variety of the stuff that we develop and it is simply one in every of my nice joys in life to have the ability to share that with folks.”
Dwelling amongst numerous vineyards undeniably comes with its perks. “Should you’re a winemaker, you are additionally in all probability a fairly good prepare dinner—these two issues go hand in hand,” Ross stated. “So with our buddies, we’re all competing to host as a result of all of us need to be the host and are all tremendous treasured about our wine, we’re tremendous snobs about our meals, so all of us compete for the title.” Spend a warm-weather day in Healdsburg and also you simply would possibly end up at an informal yard barbecue stocked with a few of the finest wines within the nation. “It is type of ridiculous going round Healdsburg to a little bit barbecue since you’ll discover distinctive wine and distinctive meals that the chef simply whipped up.”
All of this thought-about, after I started my hunt for specialists on internet hosting outside gatherings centered round nice drinks, nice meals, and nice buddies, Woody and Ross felt like an apparent selection. So, we sat down and talked all issues Ami Ami, yard barbecues, internet hosting suggestions and methods, and extra. Maintain studying for 10 of the pair’s necessities for an ideal yard bash, whatever the season.
Picture by Ami Ami
1. Ami Ami Summer season Duo, $60
“Who would not need this whenever you’re internet hosting of us at your private home?,” Ross asks. “There are two bottles in every field, so it goes additional [than a typical bottle] and it appears nice on the desk. It actually is ideal—and that is not simply us making an attempt to oversell this—particularly for an out of doors barbecue. It may be utilized in spritzes or loved as-is, and it is so handy.” The comfort of the packaging goes additional than simply for entertaining, Woody provides. “It is nice if you wish to come residence and identical to have one glass of wine,” he says. ”Reasonably than having to open a bottle, you may have that one glass of wine with out the stress to complete the bottle so it would not go dangerous in a few days when you do not.”
Picture by Repurpose
2. Compostable Stemless Wine Cups, $14+
The pair loves these compostable cups for his or her mix of being eco-friendly and nicely designed. “So many plastic cups or different compostable cups haven’t got a pleasant design. These have a ravishing form and are sustainable—they’re a terrific different to plastic,” Woody says.
Picture by Polaroid
3. Polaroid Go Prompt Digital camera, $100 $90
“This one comes from my spouse,” Ross says. “We received married in 2017, she wished a Polaroid at our marriage ceremony, and I needed to Google what it was. I’ve by no means seen something at an occasion or occasion get extra consideration than a Polaroid—it is an absolute no-brainer. There’s one thing so particular about them and it is a good way to make recollections with out it being one of many 3,000 iPhone pictures that get taken all through the day.”
Picture by MJ Kroeger
4. OXO Good Grips Coiled Grill Brush, $40
“Remember the necessities, proper?” Ross says. “Gotta have a pleasant, clear grill.” Woody has a complete system to get his grill good and clear. “First I get my hearth going. As soon as it is at a fairly excessive warmth, I exploit a brush to interrupt down no matter is leftover from our final barbecue. Then I take a paper towel, throw a bunch of olive oil on it, and wipe the grill. However, you want that brush to interrupt down the carbon out of your final cookout—you are solely nearly as good as your instruments,” he says.
Picture by Graza
5. “Sizzle” Additional Virgin Olive Oil, $14+
“I’ve a extremely curated residence, the bottle sits subsequent to my range, and that is what I prepare dinner with mainly every single day,” Woody explains. ”I believe it is a terrific product and it is a terrific package deal.” Ross, additionally a Graza lover, agrees. “I’ve received a month-to-month subscription that arrives at my doorstep each single month,” he says. “Cool packaging, unbelievable olive oil, and tremendous instructional [about where it comes from, how it’s harvested, why Picula olives are used, and more].”
Picture by Rocky Luten
6. French Oak Serving Boards, $74+
“Once I host I at all times have a cheese and charcuterie board,” Woody says. “I have been doing it for over a decade and so they’re simply lovely.” Bubbles and charcuterie are normal in Healdsburg, Ross confirms. “If individuals are arriving and there isn’t any charcuterie served after they arrive…are you even internet hosting?” he jokes.
Picture by Yeti
7. Yeti Tundra, $325
“The period of time I’ve spent, earlier than getting a Yeti, strolling to and from the fridge to get folks drinks is ridiculous,” Ross says. “I can’t consider it took me this lengthy.” Now, no extra working backwards and forwards from the yard to the kitchen for chilly drinks. The pair depends on a Yeti Tundra to maintain drinks close by and ice-cold, even when it is sitting outdoors, proper beneath the solar. “I do not even know the way they really make these, however I’ve had ice sit in them for like two weeks and never soften.”
Picture by James Ransom
8. Emile Henry French Ceramic Pizza Stone, $70
“My child is in a pizza section,” Woody says. “We eat pizza nearly each evening and this makes for a greater high quality frozen pizza. It additionally faucets into my chef fantasies—it makes me really feel a little bit extra severe within the kitchen.” Ross, whose daughter can be in a pizza section, has used the stone for cooking flatbreads on the grill, too.
Picture by Lazzari
9. Lazzari Mesquite Charcoal Lump, $19
“That is the actual stuff. If you are going to do one thing, do it correctly,” Ross says. “Fuel grilling is tremendous handy and tremendous helpful, however coming from South Africa—we name grilling over coals a Braai—and you can be canceled in South Africa when you invite folks over and crack on the fuel. Previous winery wooden is definitely a few of the finest wooden for grilling, however I really like this model for coals. I am truly standing outdoors now an enormous bag within the nook,” he provides.
Picture by Ty Mecham
10. KHEM Studios Easy Meat Board, $90
“What’s nice about this reducing board is it has the trough to seize the juices,” Woody says. “Say you throw a steak on the grill, you let it repose for 10 minutes, begin reducing that steak and it is nonetheless going to launch some juices and people juices are taste, so you have to seize it.”
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