Every now and then, an instantly covetable product comes along. This summer, amie wine was that product. 

Images of an elegantly elongated bottle of crisp, pale rosé wine were see on every Instagram-girl’s grid, often dappled with sunlight or strewn amongst a dreamy picnic scene. Its most distinguishable feature? A beautiful female-focused illustration scrawled across the front. 

Amie wine quickly became the bottle to be seen drinking. But we have news, friends, this isn’t just a case of summer love. Oh no – amie wine is back for winter and this time with a smooth, blackberry-flavoured red. Délicieuse.

Amie’s new creation comes as part of the brand’s expansion out of rosé and into the other main wine categories. Indeed, they’ve also launched an aromatic Sauvignon Blanc which has a tropical feel and best served chilled. 

Right now, though, we’re living for the idea of snuggling up with a gorgeous glass of red after a long day – and gorgeous this is. Presented in a voluptuous bottle, the outward curve from the slender neck to the curvy base is so satisfying to look at, it would make a beautiful candle holder long after the wine has been drunk. 

It bears the brand’s signature illustration, this time in contrasting, rich cream and redcurrant tones. Not just stylish, this single line drawing says a lot about the lifeblood of the brand. 

The word ‘amie’ in French means female friends and so, the brand celebrates friendship in the way it was created and how it is intended to be enjoyed. This too-pretty-to-throw-away label represents this, with a trio of women’s faces, all connected.

You see, amie was only dreamed up in lockdown and has been a labour of love for a group of friends who came together to create something fresh for the wine market. Will Sandbach is director of family-owned The Oxford Wine Company, and so knowing a thing or two already about vino, got together with his fiance, marketer and photographer Abbie Roden. Together they invited their friends PR expert Hermione Underwood and artist Jessica Yolanda Kaye to be part of the team.

Speaking to Stylist.co.uk, Abbie Roden explains why friendship is such a core part of amie’s brand identity: “Because amie was created during such a challenging time (during the heart of lockdown), the one thing we craved the most was to see our friends. 

“When brainstorming names for the wine, amie was the one that really stood out to us the most because of its femininity and friendship angle for storytelling. We wanted to build a story that encompassed everything that inspired this brand to come to life, and we really thought that we could build a story with amie, not just a name. 

“When writing the strategy for the brand, the feminine name meant that we wanted the bottle and label to feel light and feminine as well. The bottle we went with is elegant, and in a way, mirrors the female form. 

“It was only fitting that we opted to work on the brand’s design with our close friend, acclaimed artist Jessica Yolanda Kaye, an Australian living in Notting Hill. Lending her fashion-forward illustration style to the logo and label design, Jessica was inspired by the vision of friends drinking amie, imagining the final setting for the bottle, and seeking for the illustration to ‘blend’ into that scene.”

And the taste? Well, that’s the best bit (as if we weren’t already sold). Amie’s first red has been created in the renowned wine region of the Languedoc in the south of France, using vines that are over 30 years old which give a refined, elegant taste and utterly drinkable texture.

It’s made from 100% Carignan, a grape native to the Languedoc, which has notes of blackberry and a subtle fruitiness that gives it a tart twist. This is the perfect red to serve to friends as it’s an all-round crowd-pleaser and is guaranteed to go down a treat. A standard bottle stands at 75cl and is 12.5% alcohol.

All of amie’s wines are also vegan, which makes sharing them with friends even easier thanks to their inclusivity. Plus, £1 per bottle will be donated to charity: water to help bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries.

We think your winter is about to get a whole lot better. Purchase directly from amie for a case of four priced at £60.

Images: Amie /Instagram