[ad_1]
This text is a part of an interview collection referred to as Instruments of the Commerce, a column that includes expert-approved ideas, methods, and product suggestions. Food52 earns an affiliate fee on qualifying purchases of the merchandise we hyperlink to.
If you happen to consider that boxed wine cannot be prime 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 targeted 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 world wide. You possibly can 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 greatest buddies, as ami is French for “a pal”—they knew they needed to create a top quality, high-end product that may be handy, accessible, and memorable, whatever the event. Most significantly, they needed to bundle their wine in a method that was sustainable. “Greater than two-thirds of glass in america is just not 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.
Based mostly 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 limitless internet hosting—whether or not it is a yard barbecue, feast, or yard completely satisfied hour. “I like internet hosting,” Woody mentioned. “I have been internet hosting for so long as I can keep in mind; it’s very inbuilt my household tradition. I reside on this stunning ranch, we develop quite a lot of our personal meals, we increase pigs and chickens, and we’ve got orchards. So, we’re capable of make the most of quite a lot of the stuff that we develop and it is simply one in all my nice joys in life to have the ability to share that with folks.”
Residing amongst numerous vineyards undeniably comes with its perks. “If you happen to’re a winemaker, you are additionally most likely a fairly good cook dinner—these two issues go hand in hand,” Ross mentioned. “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 among the greatest wines within the nation. “It is form of ridiculous going round Healdsburg to just a little barbecue since you’ll discover distinctive wine and distinctive meals that the chef simply whipped up.”
All of this thought of, once I started my hunt for consultants on internet hosting out of doors 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 ideas and methods, and extra. Maintain studying for 10 of the pair’s necessities for an ideal yard bash, whatever the season.
1. Ami Ami Summer time Duo, $60
“Who would not need this whenever you’re internet hosting people at your own home?,” Ross asks. “There are two bottles in every field, so it goes additional [than a typical bottle] and it appears to be like nice on the desk. It actually is ideal—and that is not simply us making an attempt to oversell this—particularly for an outside 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 dwelling and identical to have one glass of wine,” he says. ”Slightly 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 should you do not.”
How one can Construct a Higher Picnic Basket
2. Compostable Stemless Wine Cups, $14+
The pair loves these compostable cups for his or her mix of being eco-friendly and properly designed. “So many plastic cups or different compostable cups do not have a pleasant design. These have a fantastic form and are sustainable—they’re an important various to plastic,” Woody says.
3. Polaroid Go On the spot Digicam, $100 $90
“This one comes from my spouse,” Ross says. “We obtained married in 2017, she needed 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 an effective way to make reminiscences with out it being one of many 3,000 iPhone images that get taken all through the day.”
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 fireplace 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 pretty much as good as your instruments,” he says.
5. “Sizzle” Further Virgin Olive Oil, $14+
“I’ve a extremely curated dwelling, the bottle sits subsequent to my range, and that is what I cook dinner with mainly on daily basis,” Woody explains. ”I feel it is an important product and it is an important bundle.” Ross, additionally a Graza lover, agrees. “I’ve obtained a month-to-month subscription that arrives at my doorstep each single month,” he says. “Cool packaging, unimaginable olive oil, and tremendous academic [about where it comes from, how it’s harvested, why Picula olives are used, and more].”
6. French Oak Serving Boards, $74+
“After 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 stunning.” Bubbles and charcuterie are normal in Healdsburg, Ross confirms. “If persons are arriving and there is not any charcuterie served once they arrive…are you even internet hosting?” he jokes.
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 exterior, 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.”
8. Emile Henry French Ceramic Pizza Stone, $70
“My child is in a pizza part,” Woody says. “We eat pizza virtually each evening and this makes for a greater high quality frozen pizza. It additionally faucets into my chef fantasies—it makes me really feel just a little extra severe within the kitchen.” Ross, whose daughter can be in a pizza part, has used the stone for cooking flatbreads on the grill, too.
9. Lazzari Mesquite Charcoal Lump, $19
“That is the actual stuff. If you are going to do one thing, do it correctly,” Ross says. “Gasoline grilling is tremendous handy and tremendous useful, however coming from South Africa—we name grilling over coals a Braai—and you can be canceled in South Africa should you invite folks over and crack on the fuel. Outdated winery wooden is definitely among the greatest wooden for grilling, however I like this model for coals. I am truly standing exterior now an enormous bag within the nook,” he provides.
10. KHEM Studios Easy Meat Board, $90
“What’s nice about this slicing 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 slicing that steak and it is nonetheless going to launch some juices and people juices are taste, so you have to seize it.”
Extra from Food52
What are your must-haves for throwing a yard bash? Tell us beneath!
[ad_2]
Source link