Jennifer Kimpe and Jeanne-Marie Hebert
THE ART OF LIFE | RUE DE RÊVE — A CALIFORNIA DREAM IN A GLASS
EGW LUXURY MAGAZINE | WINTER 2025 - 2026
FEATURE | THE ART OF LIFE
By Monica Lofstrom
“Rue de Rêve began as a conversation on the road and became a way of life. It reflects our belief that the apéritif isn’t just a drink — it’s a beautiful pause and an opening to dream.”
— Jennifer Kimpe & Jeanne-Marie Hébert, Co-Founders
There are moments that live in the in-between — after the day has done its work, before the evening fully begins. In Europe, this sacred hour is called the apéritif — a ritual of gathering, unwinding, and connecting. But along the sun-drenched roads of California’s coast, two friends reimagined it with their own light-infused twist.
Rue de Rêve — French for Dream Street — was imagined by longtime friends Jennifer Kimpe and Jeanne-Marie Hébert on a spontaneous road trip up the California coastline. Somewhere between golden cliffs and open sky, conversation turned to creation: how to capture the joy of that moment — the freedom, the friendship, the scent of sea air, and the feeling of endless possibility.
The answer was found in a glass.
THE SPIRIT OF A DREAM
What began as a shared idea between two creative spirits has grown into a refined portfolio of California-crafted apéritifs — Blanc, Rosé, and Rouge — each designed to embody the beauty of the in-between.
Rue de Rêve apéritifs are made with small-production organic wines, California grape spirits, and a delicate infusion of fruit and botanicals, including artemisia douglasiana — known as The Dream Plant — which grows wild along the state’s rugged coast. This ancient aromatic lends the collection both its name and its soul.
The result is a trio of artfully balanced blends: the crisp radiance of the Blanc, the effortless elegance of the Rosé, and the deeper intrigue of the Rouge. Each apéritif invites you to slow down, savor, and remember that refinement can also feel like freedom.
A CALIFORNIA TAKE ON APÉRO
In Europe, apéritif hour is a beloved tradition — a prelude to dinner, a time when the light softens and conversation lingers.
In California, it becomes something more spontaneous, more alive.
Here, the ritual is a sunset shared with friends on a wraparound porch, laughter echoing over a long table set outdoors. It’s a candle flickering in a coastal breeze, a record playing softly in the background. It’s the art of savoring life’s small luxuries — good company, good taste, and good design — all poured into one moment.
For Jennifer and Jeanne-Marie, Rue de Rêve is more than a beverage. It’s a lifestyle brand that embodies that distinctly Californian blend of ease and elegance — where design meets indulgence, and where dreaming is not an escape, but an art form.
“People are drawn to beauty that feels accessible,” Jennifer says. “Rue de Rêve celebrates that — it’s about quality without pretense, sophistication with soul.”
THE FOUNDERS BEHIND THE GLASS
Both women bring their own artistry to the table.
Jeanne-Marie Hébert, Rue de Rêve’s Co-Founder and Head of Operations & Production, draws on her background in travel, hospitality, and home design. Her philosophy is rooted in joie de vivre — the joy of gathering, the magic of shared experiences. Her ideal apéro? “Outside with friends, lakeside or in my own backyard, surrounded by food, laughter, and light.”
Jennifer Kimpe, Co-Founder and Head of Brand Strategy & Marketing, comes from a long career in wine marketing and brand consulting. With a passion for storytelling and sensory detail, she sees every glass as an invitation. “For me, the apéritif is about atmosphere,” she says. “It’s the sound of vinyl spinning, the scent of candles, the beauty of an unhurried evening.”
Together, their shared aesthetic — warm, modern, and timeless — defines Rue de Rêve’s identity: a seamless blend of travel, taste, and design that feels both European in spirit and Californian in soul.
A TOAST TO DREAM STREET
Rue de Rêve is an ode to friendship, beauty, and the art of slowing down. Each bottle carries the intention of its makers — to create something refined yet approachable, local yet worldly, dreamlike yet grounded.
As the sun dips below the Pacific, the apéritif hour begins. Glasses clink. The air hums with possibility. And somewhere along that endless road called Dream Street, two friends smile — knowing that their shared vision has become more than a drink. It has become a way of life.
We’ll meet you there — on Dream Street.
Explore Rue de Rêve
www.ruedereveaperitifs.com
@ruedereveaperitifs
Collection: Blanc · Rosé · Rouge
Crafted in California | Organic Wines | All-Natural Ingredients | Infused with “The Dream Plant”
