I have had my images printed in various formats to hang on walls, printed on tote bags, cell phone covers, printed in books and enlarged into murals. No matter how it is printed I get the same excitement every time. My image in one way or another has evoked some type of emotional response that resonated with the buyer and I feel that connection. But one of the latest uses of one of my images got me a little more excited than usual. A winemaker from Walla Walla chose and image of mine to be on the label of her chardonnay wine this year. But for me it is more than just my image on a bottle of wine.

The Bottling Process The bottling process takes place in a semi truck. It starts on the right of the image where the bottles are placed on the conveyor and then get cleaned/sanitized, filled and labeled. It wraps around and ends on the left side of the photo where Ashley(in the blue jacket) boxes the bottles. Winemaker Ashley Trout has started a new winery called March Cellars. You can read more about her past experience on the website. She is not only passionate about wine and her new label but has a specific vision for her new winery.The name, March Cellars, comes from the last month that a party in the 1800’s could head out west and make it alive. March Cellars pays tribute to those that have ventured west in that era, into the virtual unknown to start a new life.  The images she choose for her wines reflect the overall theme of the winery, “The west: the finest line between discovery and despair”, a saying you will find on many of March Cellars website pages. So, I consider it an honor to  have one of my images carefully selected to be on a bottle of wine and help represent the theme and vision of March Cellars.

I was even more excited to be invited to the bottling even for the Chardonnay. First Glass of March Cellars Chardonnay While not one of the more exciting parts of wine making it represents the culmination of hard work to create this great wine. For me it is interesting to see a little of the behind the scenes of part of the whole process. Ashley even offered me a glass from the first bottle. Without being chilled or aged in the bottle it was outstanding. While my image on the bottle was only a small fraction of the process of the making of this chardonnay It will be one of the most memorable and cherished uses of one of my photos.

Oh, and the image of mine that she chose, “Frosty Bison”. An image of 3 bison in Yellowstone covered in frozen fog. An image, at the time, I tried to capture the hardships of bison in Yellowstone. With the temperature well below freezing and blanketed with frost eating dead frozen grass, I thought it captured what the bison go through to survive the harsh conditions of the Park.

Frosty BisonAn Early October moring I found these bison grazing. The temperature was in the single digits and no wind. Nearby thermal features created a mist that covered everything and reduced visibility. When I was working up this photo I really wanted to give the viewer the idea of how cold it is. There was frost clinging to everything including the bison. The best way I could convey this was to show this image in Black and white. Completly unfazed by the bitter cold conditions, these bison continued to feed on what grass was left only knowing it would soon be covered by snow.

The other thing I will mention is the whole experience in working with Ashley was very positive.  After talking to her a little and seeing her in action during the bottling process I realized how genuine, passionate and a complete professional she is which is why I have no doubt she will be successful with March Cellars.

The Bottling ProcessA view of the bottling process from the outside. The forklift is bringing palates of empty bottles for the beginning of the line as the conveyor belt on the left is where the boxes full of wine come out. Bottles filled and labeled

If you are a fan of chardonnay or any wine I would highly recommend trying this wine from March Cellars. Information for buying it can be found on the website. Or, if you are planning on being in Walla Walla check to see if they have any events going on while there. You can get more information from the March Cellars Website  or on Facebook.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and please feel free to leave comments and share. I also encourage you to join my email list and visit and follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Pintrest  or on Instagram where I post my latest work. All of my images are available for purchase on this site and at Fine Art America.