About us
VinBohême (pronounced vin bo-HEM) is owned and operated by two Black women from Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA. The concept of “Vin” represents our love of good wine and “Bohême” describes the easeful lifestyle that we all deserve. We offer select wines and items that make for a warm and inviting home. Our business is based in Washington, D.C.
Roberta (the interior designer of the owners) and Monique (the certified Sommelier) came up with this idea during the “social distancing” phase of the global pandemic. We spent a lot of time nesting and creating cozy spaces since we were spending much more time at home. We also invested in new wines and shared them with each other virtually to create a sense of connection. Once the world opened up, we enjoyed sharing these experiences in person and expanded the notion by hosting small dinners where we’d exchange and enjoy wine. It gave us a satisfying sense of connectedness and gratitude. We decided from there that we wanted to help create this experience for others.
Our mission
We respect the artisans all over the world who use generations-old traditions to produce wine and design housewares. We support the small and mid-sized vineyards and winemakers who are dedicated to their craft and produce great wines. We bring these practices together and offer them to our local community. Every purchase with VinBohême supports our mission.
What we care about
Quality
Curating wines from producers who make small-batch, terroir driven, minimal intervention wines.
Value
Not all great wines are expensive and not all expensive wines are great. We specialize in finding wines that consistently punch above their weight.
Diversity
Promoting & highlighting women and BIPOC winemakers
Approachability
Wine is for everyone. We hope to make wine accessible, approachable and fun. There is no place for pretension or exclusion here.
Meet the team
Roberta Hatchett, Co-Owner & Managing Director
I come to VinBohême with 20+ years of marketing and advertising experience, working mostly in the travel/tourism and banking industries. It began with a natural interest in how people think and relate to the companies they spend their time and money on. Representation in media and sustainability in business practices have always been important to me and I bring both values to VinBohême.
My personal interests and hobbies have included both interior design and wine for as long as I can remember. The best dinners and conversations happened at home with wine and friends. And being at home for two years straight during the pandemic, I focused on nesting and fell in love with the modern bohemian and afro bohemian aesthetic. It marries the sustainability of minimalism with homage to my heritage. And it’s just beautiful. I hope you agree.
Monique Copeland, Co-Owner and Sommelier
It all started with one bottle of wine for me, and that was all I needed to get my wine wheels turning.
I was introduced to my first “good” bottle of wine courtesy of Roberta. It tasted nothing like I’ve ever had. With that first bottle, I was able to taste all of the components of wine that I now educate others on. From there I was hooked… and curious. That curiosity led me to enroll in one of the most respected wine school programs, The Wine School of Philadelphia. One class led to taking a full accredited wine course - and the rest is history.
Entering into the wine space has exposed me to so many opportunities, and most importantly, connected me with others that can relate to my journey. The curiosity that I had in the beginning is the same curiosity I see in others now. And I want to be a safe space for them to learn, explore, and feel comfortable knowing that wine isn’t intimidating - it’s to be explored and enjoyed by all.
