Our Philosophy
When we started developing this project over 15 years ago, we put a lot of thought into the imagery we wanted on our label – something that could encompass our individual identities as well as our shared philosophy in the vineyard, in the cellar, and in life.
As winegrowers, we work intimately with the the Land, the Sea, and the Sky. The land is the soils of our distinctive vineyards, the sea is the water that nurtures the vines, and the sky is the weather that changes every year. We wanted to tie these elements - the physical and philosophical - Land, Sea and Sky - together into one.
(In addition to being winemakers, we're both pilots, scuba divers, skiiers, and fishers. Appreciating and dwelling within all the elements of our planet is very important to us. Another meaning of Land, Sea & Sky.)
Heidi has long used the symbol of the magical mermaid with her own La Sirena label, as it captures her personality, artistic creativity, and deep love of the ocean. Bo feels a strong affinity to his Chinese astrological sign, the "Wood Horse". (Look it up - if you've ever met him, you would agree!) The challenge was how to take these different design concepts and bring them together into one symbol.
Months into the myriad paths of ideas and information we explored, we began gravitating towards a design style also reflecting the antiquity of wine. The history of wine spans thousands of years and is closely intertwined with the history of agriculture, civilization and humanity itself. The imagery found in antiquity is elegant, simple and expressive.
Exploring the art and images of antiquity led to ancient coins. Which led to another tangent; where were the first coins struck? The first coins were created in the Kingdom of Lydia, an ancient eastern Mediterranean culture located in what is now western Turkey. The Lydian coin images led us to dig into that culture’s jewelry designs. Suddenly, there it was! A necklace pendant with a flying Hippocampus (sea-horse). We had found our symbol.
One wine, from one place, honoring the harmony of Land, Sea and Sky – This is Barrett & Barrett.