The Line on the Label
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.