We love amie's concept of wine for friends, what prompted you to set up amie during lockdown?
My husband, Will, is a Director of The Oxford Wine Company, his family business, and was helping his family with orders at the beginning of lockdown; it was through this, that the idea sparked to create a direct-to-consumer rosé brand here in the UK, something that hadn't been done before. When we were brainstorming the name and the brand, we wrote down lots of words that were meaningful to us at the time; family, friends, travel, etc. We then translated those words into French, and as soon as we wrote amie -- meaning 'female friend' -- we knew that was the name of our brand. Lockdown was a time where we craved our friends the most, and creating a rosé brand reminded us so much of lovely gatherings with friends.

 

It’s wonderful that you donate £1 of every online order to charity: water, what made you choose this charity in particular?
Will and I both read charity: water Founder Scott Harrison's book, Thirst, and can't recommend it enough. We chose charity: water as our charity partner for a few reasons:

• Charity: water is radically transparent, with 100% of public donations going straight to the field -- this is made possible by a group of dedicated private donors, known as The Well, who fund overhead costs, staff salaries, trips to the field and more. 

• Charity: water proves every project, using innovative technology and powerful storytelling to connect donors to their impact

• Not only does walking for water keep kids out of school, or take up time that parents could be using to earn money, but the water often also carries diseases that can make everyone sick. Clean water improves help, increases access to food, grows local economies and helps kids spend more time in school. 

• Women's Empowerment: women are responsible for 72% of water collected in Sub-Saharan Africa; when a community gets water, women and girls get their lives back

 

Artist Jessica Yolanda Kaye designed your label artwork, what was the inspiration behind her design?
When we were thinking of the branding and label design for amie, Jess' artwork was the first thing that popped into my mind. I loved her minimal line drawings, and could see one of them perfectly on a wine label.

"When sketching this artwork, I imageined sitting around a table with friends in the South of France, sipping rosé in the afternoon sun. I wanted the bottle to blend into that scene, whilst also capturing the sense of connection and playfulness that comes with long summer lunches with friends. Ultimately, I decided on two faces connected with one continuous line, painted in a curly, soft style...a little tipsy, a little cheeky."
- Jessica Yolanda Kaye

 

How do you and Will go about choosing the art in your own collection at home, what are you drawn to?
We love artworks that are meaningful to us. I love buying art on a trip -- whether that's a painting, ceramics, a print or more -- as it always will remind you of that trip when you look at it. I love finding cool, unique pieces in markets too. I am drawn to a more warm colour palette - creams, neutrals, oranges, pinks, peaches, burgundies. I love texture, so anything with unique texture is something I will be drawn to.  

 

Your wine studio is such a great space acting as a wine bar, art gallery, shop and events space. What have you got coming up next?
We have two workshops coming up with Dee's Basement (@deesbasement), which we are super excited about!

We've just launched a 'supper club' series -- but for brunch! -- amie Bottomless Brunch series -- where we have guest chefs come into amie wine studio on select Saturdays, to serve their delicious food and, and guests will sip on 'bottomless' amie wine. Chefs so far include Soph Gordon, Liv Burt, Georgia Hearn and Natalia Rudin. 

Art workshops with Art for Charity Collective, which we can't wait for!!

Wimbledon in Eccleston Yards is so much fun - there's a big screen, and we serve amie from an outdoor bar for the duration. 

 

How do your tastes in wine and art compare?
For both, I love something that tells a story, is unique, and that reminds me of a place. When traveling, I love bringing wines home that we can drink back in London, but be swept away to that place where we first enjoyed the wine together. The same for art -- I love anything that takes me back to a time and a place. They're both happy memories for me. 

 

We loved curating your walls in Eccleston Yards. Can you pick your favourite 3 pieces from the ACC x amie curation and tell us why you chose each piece?
Eek this is SO hard!! 

I've got to go with 'I Must Be Dreaming' by Kelly Jay -- I'm from Kentucky, so anything horse related // cowboy & cowgirl I just love, plus I love the colours used in this one

'Golden Amaryllis' by Dawn Beckles - love this one as well! Again, I think I'm really drawn to the colours and texture

'Pots Carving' by Lucy Smallbone - this one is SO unique. I have never really seen a block of wood that's been carved and then turned into a painting. Super special.