In the mid-1980s, pioneering winemaker Tony Austin spelled out the relationship between wine and art in boldface letters at his Los Olivos tasting room. In the Kern Health 2006 issue of Bakersfield Magazine, he reiterated the sentiment when he told wine writer Mike Stepanovich, “Wine is art. It just happens to be consumable art.”
Austin took his conviction a step further by being among the first Santa Barbara wine producers to feature original art on their labels. For his Sauvignon Blanc, he chose an emblematic painting of a girl in a sundress, strolling through the lapping surf, a wave cresting in the near distance.
At the same time, Sanford Winery was adorning its labels with gorgeous paintings of California wildflowers rendered by Sebastian Titus, botanical illustrator and artist extraordinaire. The delicate line work and pure colors that distinguished these beauties did—and still do—stand out among a shelf loaded with otherwise indistinguishable packages.
It was a revelation. Wine labels really could reflect the ever-changing nature of the liquid within, as well as its inherent artistic integrity.
Today, another local tasting room trumpets the news with a shingle declaring “Consumable art in Los Olivos.” Continuing to celebrate the affinity of art and wine, more and more area producers have jettisoned their logo-dominated labels in favor of an array of original prints and paintings.
In 1998, Bill and Jeri Mosby, owners of Mosby Winery, joined with artist Robert Scherer of Appiano, Italy, to create an Artist Series of fine wines. Luminous and dreamy, almost as if painted on glass, the imagery evokes intimate gatherings and playful moments.
“The moment I saw his work,” Bill said, “I knew I wanted him to do a label for me.”
The first of Scherer’s watercolors, which graced Mosby’s Pinot Grigio, was followed by a series of dramatic illustrations perfect for bottlings with names like Ossessione (made from Italian Montepulciano grapes) and La Seduzione (Lagrein). His latest—a fiery kaleidoscope of vines, human figures, and blazing sunshine—decorates the Sagrantino (an Umbrian varietal), and each tells as complex and engaging a story as the wine within the bottle.
Mike Brown, winemaker and co-owner of Kalyra Winery, took his label art cue from his native Australia, where Aboriginal painters create pointillist works of remarkable detail. From his first label depicting a hazy billabong to his current line of eye-catching abstracts, he has created a strikingly original iconography.
Reproduced from commissioned paintings, the Kalyra labels feature stylized snakes, widgety grubs, and shadowy human figures moving through Dream Time scenarios. Each consists of thousands of tiny dots of paint that combine to give the impression of intricate beadwork and irresistible mystery.
Specializing in the art of blending, winemaker Bion Rice of Artiste Winery and Tasting Studio uses his labels to mirror his vinicultural ethic. Each features an original painting by an accomplished artist and may depict anything from a lively street scene to an abstract landscape to a solitary figure.
Christina LoCascio creates marvelous images for Artiste using red wine, while Aldo Luongo exhibits a vibrant impressionistic style that reflects the early influence of Monet, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Carole Rae Watanabe painted the haunting Peaceful Alliance, decorating the Artiste Neo-Burgundy, as well as Daily Ritual, a colorful celebration of French village life that adorns the Gigondas Grenache.
For their Brophy-Clark Winery labels, winemaker John Clark and viticulturist Kelley Brophy Clark enlisted the help of Kelley’s mother, Mary Campista, a watercolorist who lives in Arizona. Campista painted the two Central Coast landscapes the couple selected for their red and white wines.
The Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel bottlings bear an image of Montaña de Oro, along the rugged coast of San Luis Obispo County. Dynamic colors swirl and blend, anchored by solid shapes evoking dark rocks and a storm-tossed sky.
Identifying the Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, a scene of Oso Flaco, an area near Nipomo Dunes known for its rare birds and wildlife, includes shimmering water, rolling, golden hills, and a lakeside stand of lush green.
For their Sharon’s Vineyard Pinot Noir, the folks at Cottonwood Canyon Winery enlisted famed artist Michael Humphries to paint a moody blue vineyard scene punctuated by a windswept oak. Humphries’ credits include background artwork for Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Disney’s latest, The Princess and the Frog, and his label sets an appropriate tone for thoughtfully evaluating the sensory subtleties of the wine.
Most oenophiles acknowledge that winemaking qualifies as both art and craft, that intuition and applied science shape its product equally. Tony Austin was right, and a growing number of local labels reflect the fact that, indeed, wine is consumable art.
K. Reka Badger’s columns are both art and craft. E-mail comments or ideas to reka
badger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Jan 14-21, 2010.
