Supplier Spotlight: Amie Wine

We came across Amie Wine through our friends at Aurelia and got to know the brand story, which immediately resonated with us at Thyme. Will Sandbach and Abbie Roden thought up amie together during the Covid-19 lockdown. Creating a cool and affordable wine brand straight to the customer, successfully encapsulating this playfulness with friends in the south of France within a bottle. We sat down with Abbie and Will to learn a little bit more about the brand.

Together, you dreamt up Amie during the pandemic, where did the idea first spark from?

Will's Dad works in wine (he owns The Oxford Wine Company), so he was helping his dad at the wine warehouse during COVID, as they had an influx of online orders due to lockdown. We were living with his parents at the time in Oxfordshire; he came home one day and texted me 'come downstairs, I have an idea.' I totally thought he had an idea for a new walk that we should go on, but I walked downstairs and he said 'let's start a rosé brand.' The idea was 100% his from the start.

What values do you hold closest to the heart of Amie?

Giving back. Will and I both read Scott Harrison's book, Thirst. Scott is the founder of Charity: Water, and the organisation is really close to both of our hearts. We knew immediately that we wanted to have a charitable element, and drinking wine to give water seemed like the perfect idea. We donate £1 for every order placed on drinkamie.com to Charity: Water, and we have very proudly raised enough money to build our own amie well in Western Uganda; works are beginning this year. Also friendship; Amie was born during a time when we couldn't see our friends. We craved moments with friends, and that is why we named the brand amie, which in French means 'a female friend.'

Thyme is a family business, which brings its own dynamic. As a husband and wife team, what advice would you give to couples working together?

Be sure that you know your roles. Who does what for the business? For us, I am definitely in charge of marketing: creative events, activations, and brand partnerships. Will handles all things operations: logistics, finance, business. Also be sure to make time for yourself, and for your friends (without your partner).

Can you tell us a little bit about the production of your wines?

We make all of our wines in the south of France with partners. In Languedoc, there is an amazing range of wine producers and Will has spent time finding the right partner for each wine. We have four SKUs. Amie x organic rosé, which is light and crisp in style (where the Grenache and Cinsault grape skins have only had a couple of hours of skin contact). Our original Amie rosé is a little more rounded (made with Cinsault) and goes well with food. Our Sauvignon is sometimes blended with another local grape variety depending on the harvest and is designed to be exactly what you want in a Sauvignon, fresh, crisp, high in acidity and ours is relatively low in alcohol (11.5%). The Carignan has spent some time with wood and is well-rounded, smooth and versatile!

You give £1 of every order to Charity: Water. Why did you choose this charity and why is it important to you?

Will and I both read Scott Harrison's book, Thirst. Scott is the founder of Charity: Water, and the organisation is really close to both of our hearts. We knew immediately that we wanted to have a charitable element, and drinking wine to give water seemed like the perfect idea. We donate £1 for every order placed on drinkamie.com to Charity: Water, and we have very proudly raised enough money to build our own amie well in Western Uganda; works are beginning this year.

What is the perfect food pairing for your red wine?

Our red wine is very versatile; it's a Carignan grape variety (native to the south of France), and it's very smooth and well-rounded with plum, red and blackberry flavours. It is not too overpowering or full of tannins so it can be had on its own, or with lighter meals. It goes well with any meat, red pasta or pizza, but we personally love it in the winter with the fire on and a warm casserole.

What would be your last meal?

Ohh, this is such a tricky one! I love food so much. Probably soup dumplings...! Or a delicious pasta.

If we were to take a cellar dive into your personal wine collection, what would we find?

We don't have anything fancy! We have a wine tourism business called VIND (@vind on Instagram). As we visit vineyards often, we have an eclectic mix of wines from our travels, which is great for bringing back memories!

What does the summer have in store for Amie Wine?

This summer, Amie and Partnership Editions launch a collaborative pop-up wine bar and art gallery in Belgravia. From 2nd June to 31st August 2022, the amie wine studio is a space for friends to come together and enjoy the beautiful integration of wine and art in the middle of the vibrant atmosphere of Eccleston Yards. The space will also serve as a gallery, where guests can shop a curated edit of artworks by Partnership Editions artists.

We celebrated the launch of our Bertioli x Bell Hutley collection with amie wines.

Shop the collection in the link below.