A Master Vinter and a Master Sumi-e Artist Collaborate
- Original Painting of distinctive Santa Barbara landmark for Au Bon Climat signature wine label
- Wine Label Image that incorporates subtle but powerful branding motifs
- Connecting with Japanese wine market in a creative way
- Ecologically sensitive painting and process infused with the Sumi-e artist's and the organic winemaker's sensitivity to the earth, the soil, the wind, weather, sun and Central Coast climate and Santa Barbara Mission's connection to the earth.
Background
Master Vintner Jim Clendenen, Au Bon Climat Cellars, phoned Drue. He began by remembering all the past collaborations as a beautiful California sunset spilled into her studio. "I called because I'm doing a special wine to be exclusively distributed in Japan for the Asian market. I know you'll paint something great that will remind them of the Central Coast."
Client Goals
Jim Clendenen was embarking on a marketing campaign to promote his award winning wine in the Asian market. He told Drue he wanted a painting for his private collection that would evoke the beauty and harmony of the Central Coast. He wanted a special wine label derived from the painting to be a marketing beacon for the Japanese connoisseurs.
Solution
Drue made a special visit to the Au Bon Climat Cellars and the famed Bien Nacido Vineyards to reflect on the winemaker's wish. Imagining the Santa Barbara Mission, a Central Coast landmark in ebony-inked strokes, she realized that it was the perfect subject matter for Au Bon Climat's signature triangle wine label.
- Original Painting - Drue painted Santa Barbara Brushed by Inked Memories to evoke the distinctive qualities from this region in the refined bouquet of Jim Clendenen's unparalleled wine. Drue's indigo-inked strokes of the Santa Barbara Mission, the Queen of the Missions, tell a story aged over time.
- Wine Label Articulating the Au Bon Climat Brand - Drue wanted to emphasize the triangle, the signature visual of Au Bon Climat. She chose the triangle as the organizing principle of the painting. Subtly embedded in her composition for the Santa Barbara Mission, hidden triangles suggest Au Bon Climat as the pinnacle of excellence. Drue's lines converge to Clendenen's sublime standards. The triangular church pediment points upward to another triangular structure, the stepped white blocks that bear the central cross.
- Ecological Message - She felt the distinctive presence of the beautiful mission would serve as a visual reminder of Clendenen's love and respect for the earth and his longstanding commitment to organic farming. Drue's brush strokes in harmony with the earth pay homage to a wine that is a seamless blend of organic farming and limited intervention wine making.
- Connect with the Target Audience (Asian market) - Drue wanted to create an image quintessentially Santa Barbara yet with great appeal for the Asian market. Her Japanese brush painting strikes a responsive chord. Her composition mirrors the structure of the wine. Instead of a frontal elevation, the subtle shift in perspective surprises the viewer like the unexpected pleasures and delights that await the wine connoisseur. Indeed the label suggests the experience before the first swirl of wine in the glass.
Spotlight Fact
When Drue unveiled Santa Barbara—Brushed by Inked Memories in the Au Bon Climat wine cellars, Clendenen expressed delight. Inspired by the beauty of the Central Coast, the painting is in his private collection. Since 1998, the pinot noir and chardonnay bottled under Drue's label have been hugely successful and are prized by discerning connoisseurs.
For commission inquiries contact: drue@drue.net
