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This article is part of an interview series called Tools of the Trade<\/strong><\/a>, a column featuring expert-approved tips, tricks, and product recommendations. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.<\/em><\/p>\n If you believe that boxed wine can’t be high quality, Woody Hambrecht and Ross Dawkins are here to change that. Career winemakers and decades-long friends, the pair are the co-owners of Ami Ami<\/a>, a direct-to-consumer brand focused on providing high-quality, eco-conscious, and delicious boxed (yes, boxed) French wine.<\/p>\n \u201cMost wine brands are hyperfocused on the wine, in the terms of ‘Let’s lead with which [vine] row it came from or what brix<\/a> it was picked at,<\/em>‘ but that’s not the core focus for us\u201d Ross explained. \u201cWe have three decades of experience making high-quality wines around the world. You can trust us. We don’t need to explain the nuances of every single thing to you. We’re trying to break down those barriers of pretension around wine and make it more inclusive and accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n When the duo decided to create the brand\u2014named after their daughters who are both named Sophie and are best friends, as ami is French for \u201ca friend\u201d\u2014they knew they wanted to create a quality, high-end product that would be convenient, accessible, and memorable, regardless of the occasion. Most importantly, they wanted to package their wine in a way that was sustainable. \u201cMore than two-thirds of glass in the United States is not recycled and ends up in a landfill,\u201d they write on their site<\/a>. Not only that, the carbon footprint of producing and transporting glass<\/a> is immense. This inspired the shift from more traditional glass packaging to boxed. After all, it creates half of the carbon footprint and is more efficient and easier to transport.<\/p>\n Based in Healdsburg, Calif., the pair are deep in the heart of wine country. With this, and their obvious roles in the wine community, comes a schedule packed with wine tastings, vineyard visits, and endless hosting\u2014whether it’s a backyard barbecue, dinner party, or backyard happy hour. \u201cI love hosting,\u201d Woody said. \u201cI’ve been hosting for as long as I can remember; it’s totally built in my family culture. I live on this beautiful ranch, we grow a lot of our own food, we raise pigs and chickens, and we have orchards. So, we’re able to utilize a lot of the stuff that we grow and it’s just one of my great joys in life to be able to share that with people.\u201d<\/p>\n Living among countless vineyards undeniably comes with its perks. \u201cIf you’re a winemaker, you’re also probably a pretty good cook\u2014those two things go hand in hand,\u201d Ross said. \u201cSo with our friends, we’re all competing to host because we all want to be the<\/em> host and are all super precious about our wine, we’re super snobs about our food, so we all compete for the title.\u201d Spend a warm-weather day in Healdsburg and you just might find yourself at a casual backyard barbecue stocked with some of the best wines in the country. \u201cIt’s kind of ridiculous going around Healdsburg to a little barbecue because you’ll find exceptional wine and exceptional food that the chef just whipped up.\u201d<\/p>\n All of this considered, when I began my hunt for experts on hosting outdoor gatherings centered around great drinks, great food, and great friends, Woody and Ross felt like an obvious choice. So, we sat down and talked all things Ami Ami, backyard barbecues, hosting tips and tricks, and more. Keep reading for 10 of the pair’s essentials for a perfect backyard bash, regardless of the season.<\/p>\n
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