The Line on the Label
Is it a mountain or a path? At INÉSUEÑO, it's both. Discover the secret behind the label for Oso and Luna and the 'Moonwalk Path' in the Santa Ynez Valley, Los Olivos District AVA."
The top of the INÉSUEÑO vineyard, looking west.
A couple of weeks ago, we gathered at the ranch with dear friends for Spanish tapas and the first pours of our 2023 wines. One of our guests was Jennifer—a fixture in the Santa Ynez wine community and a veteran of luxury hospitality (formerly Director of Hospitality at Crown Point Vineyards, where she she helped define the standard for Happy Canyon excellence in Cabernet Sauvignon and now Vice President at Solera & Co., part of the renowned Schaffer hospitality group). Having someone with her eye for world-class standards find something so authentic in our 'tendril' was a moment we won't soon forget…
As we tasted the ‘23s, Jennifer admired the simplicity of our label design, with the outline of the 'mountain range.' We smiled and shared a secret: it is exactly that, but also so much more. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the curvy line on the label (we call it the tendril), actually traces portions of the West, North, and East perimeter of the one-acre INÉSUEÑO vineyard.
When we first laid out the vines, we had a choice: maximize yield with a standard rectangular grid, or follow the natural contours and beauty of the land. We chose the latter, preserving the winding 'Moonwalk Path' our family has walked for years.
So, whether you see the peaks of the Santa Ynez mountains or the path beneath our feet, you are seeing the heart of our home.
The tendril of the land, captured on the bottle.
We designed the tendril to softly fade away as it reaches that eastern boundary; a mirror to the nature of this space, where the physical boundaries of the land meet the limitless nature of a dream. The tendril is the very path we had all just finished walking together, glasses in-hand.
Moved by the connection between the land and the label design, Jennifer sent us a tribute the following morning. Her words reminded us that while we see a map of our vineyard, others feel the soul of our home. Here’s what she sent:
“For us, everything begins with a path—and that path is home.
From our backyard door, fewer than thirty steps carry you from grass and concrete to living soil. Ten steps more, a turn to the left, and another thirty steps lead you onto a path that runs alongside our dream: INÉSUEÑO, here in the Santa Ynez Valley.
As you pause by the parkway benches, endless skies stretch above you. Your feet rest on rich earth, and the spirit of the West—quiet, open, and enduring—reveals itself. That spirit has grown into a shared passion: crafting wines that reflect the beauty, honesty, and soul of this place.
When you step off the path and return to our home, you may not realize it but you’ve just walked the very path shown on our wine label.”
Thank you for following our path and allowing us to share Oso and Luna and this dream with you. And, thank you Jennifer for seeing the story in the soil.
Cheers! 🍷💕 🐻 🌙
A reach across time: The young tendril seeking the wisdom of the earth that came before it—a child reaching for a silent guide.
Blending the 2024 Vintage: When the Barrels Speak (and We Listen)
The Magic of the Blending Room: Crafting the 2024 Vintage
Just before the holidays, we stepped into the cellar with the visionary team at Dragonette Cellars to face the ultimate winemaking challenge: defining the 2024 vintage. With winemakers John Dragonette and Brandon Sparks-Gillis, we set aside rigid formulas and let the barrels lead the way.
After three hours of meticulous tasting and blending from just six select barrels, we discovered exactly what this year had to offer. From the bold, Cabernet-led structure of Oso to the elegant, nightly beauty of Luna, the results are a true reflection of the Los Olivos District terroir.
Just before the 2025 holidays swept us all into festive chaos, we carved out a sacred day in the cellar for something truly special: blending our 2024 vintage.
Julio and I joined the brilliant team from Dragonette Cellars — winemakers John Dragonette and Brandon Sparks-Gillis — at their Buellton facility. With Julio, John, Brandon, and myself around the table, we dove in with open minds (and, yes, very open palates 😏).
No preconceived notions. No pressure to replicate the magic of 2023. Our only goal? To let the wine tell us what it wanted to be.
We worked from just six precious barrels — 2024 seems to have been a “low-yield” year for many valley area vineyards — tasting, discussing, adjusting, and re-tasting. Hours flew by in a blur of thoughtful pours, spirited debates, and plenty of laughter. There was a moment we all shared the same quiet wonder: Would 2024 reveal both an Oso 🐻 and a Luna 🌙? Or would this vintage carve its own path entirely?
After about three hours of pure winemaking alchemy, the answer emerged — and it left us all grinning.
The 2024 vintage has spoken, and it's speaking volumes. Vibrant, balanced, and full of personality, these blends capture everything we love about Santa Ynez Valley: the bright acidity, the layered fruit, the elegant structure that makes Bordeaux-style blends from our corner of Santa Barbara Wine Country so compelling.
This wasn't just about hitting numbers or following a formula. It was collaboration at its best — expertise meeting intuition, experience dancing with curiosity. A year of vineyard work, fermentation, and patient barrel aging distilled into a final, decisive moment in our glasses.
We're beyond excited to share what's coming. The wines are resting now, integrating, and gaining even more complexity with time. But we already know: 2024 is something special.
A huge thank you to John, Brandon, Julio, Steve, and the entire crew for the talent, the humor, and the unforgettable energy that day. Days like these remind us why we do what we do.
Stay tuned for more on the 2024 releases. The dream continues 🍷✨ For the big “reveal” visit our Instagram post - 3 hours and more than a year in the making, distilled to 15 seconds.
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