Living: Art for Wine's Sake

Small vineyards make their mark with elegant labels

When there were relatively few wine makers and their names were mostly well known, the illustrations on labels were usually austere monotone depictions of vine rows or chateaux. With the proliferation of new vineyards in the past 15 years, more and more wineries have learned that a distinctive label can be the decisive factor in selling a bottle. Artful packaging, most notably in California, has become almost as important in the industry as the vintner's art. Says Marshall Ream of the Santa Ynez Valley's Zaca Mesa Winery: "You've got to put on a better...