The origin of our Dragonridge logo

Dragonridge Natural Wine logo

We are sometimes asked what our logo symbolizes and where it came from. The answer is both simple and complicated, as all things with Johan Simons, our dear winemaker!

Johan first fell in love with the concept of the Japanese Ensō circle and recognized the similarities between that and the ancient symbol of the Ouroboros.

Ensō (円相) is a Japanese word meaning “circle” and a concept strongly associated with Zen. It symbolizes the Absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the Universe. As an “expression of the moment” it is often considered a form of minimalist expressionist art. In Zen Buddhist painting, ensō symbolizes a moment when the mind is free to simply let the body/spirit create.

http://dailycupofyoga.com/2011/11/17/enso-the-art-of-the-zen-buddhist-circle/

The Ouroboros or uroborus is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. Ouroboros expresses the unity of all things, material and spiritual, which never disappear but perpetually change form in an eternal cycle of destruction and re-creation.

http://www.faena.com/aleph/articles/ouroboros-symbol-of-eternal-return/

The symbolic meaning of both spoke to him about creation and the connection of all things, resonating with his philosophy on life and wine making.

To create our logo, an Ensō circle was subtley coloured to suggest a “dragon eating its own tail” and our Dragonridge logo was born.