THE FABLES
Our winery is built on stories.
Each bottle has been artfully designed and inspired by one of Aesop’s many fables.
Just as each of his timeless vignettes has a moral, we believe that every blend has its own story to tell, its own lessons to teach.
There’s something profound about wine; it can inspire, bring loved ones together, fill hearts with warmth. As you enjoy each glass, we hope these stories spark a desire to ponder what really matters in life — and may they encourage you to find the wisdom within yourself.
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As he neared the end of his days, a wealthy Farmer gathered his Sons around his deathbed.
“Heed my advice,” he implored them. “Under no circumstance should you ever forsake our land, which has flourished under our family’s hand for generations. There is a secret treasure hidden among these fields, though I do not know where. But if you search tirelessly, you are sure to find it.”
As soon as the Farmer passed, his Sons picked up their spades. They pored over every foot of the land, turning up the soil and retracing their steps several times.
No hidden fortune was to be found, but at the end of their harvest, they discovered their crop earned far more than their neighbors had collected. The true treasure, as they learned, was in their industrious spirit.
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Two Men were traveling along the road when one of the Travelers stopped to pick up a Axe. “Look what I have found!” he said. “What luck.”
“Do not say I have found an Axe — we have found it,” his companion replied. But the first Man would not concede.
Suddenly, the Owner of the Axe came running back to them, shouting in anger. “We are in great danger!” the first Man said. But his companion stopped him: “No, you are in danger. You cannot say we now.”
He who shares the danger ought to share the prize.
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A Countryman once owned a remarkable Goose, which laid a glittering Golden Egg. The Man took the Golden Egg to market and was paid handsomely for it. Thrilled, he continued to sell a special Golden Egg each day — but it was not enough. The Man became impatient for the Goose to lay more.
One morning, the Man became angry and cut open the Goose to find the source of the Golden Eggs. But he found no Eggs, and his precious Goose was now dead.
Those who have plenty want more and so lose all they have.
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A Queen Bee journeyed to Mount Olympus, to offer Jupiter a pot of her hive’s finest honey. Delighted with her gift, Jupiter promised to grant any request she desired.
“Give me a sting,” she replied. “So that if any mortal attempts to steal my honey, I may kill him.” Jupiter loved mankind, and was disappointed by the Bee’s spiteful wish.
“You may have your request,” he answered, “but when you strike another, you will leave your sting behind, and it will cost you your life.”
Evil wishes, like chickens, come home to roost.
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A Scorpion came across a great River during his travels, and asked a nearby Frog to ferry him across. “But how can I trust you won’t sting me”? The Frog asked.
“Because then I, too, would die,” the Scorpion responded simply. Satisfied, the Frog allowed the Scorpion to board his back. As they approached the rushing streams, the Frog cried out in agony — he had been stung. Paralyzed, they both began to sink. “Why?” he croaked out.
“I must, it is my nature,” the Scorpion said, falling beneath the current.
One cannot escape their true nature.
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One crisp winter day, a colony of Ants was drying out the grain they had diligently gathered over the summer. A Cicada, feeling faint from hunger, approached the busy scene and humbly asked for a bite of food.
“What were you doing all summer, while we were toiling away?” an Ant asked.
“I had no time,” the Cicada whined. “I was busy singing, all day and all night.”
But the Ants turned away with annoyance. “If you sang all summer, you may dance to bed hungry all winter.”
There’s a time for work and a time for play.
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A Snake and an Eagle were entangled in a deadly battle. As the Snake almost succeeded in strangling the Eagle, a Farmer passing by took pity on the bird, and wrestled the Snake from its throat. Furious, the Snake lunged at the Farmer but missed, instead filling his drinking horn with its poison.
Unaware, the Farmer continued on his way, and soon paused to lift the water to his mouth. The Eagle swooped down from the sky, snatching the tainted drinking horn from the Farmer, saving his life.
An act of kindness is well repaid.
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Seeking to amuse himself, a tricky Fox invited a Stork over for dinner. “Come dine with me,” he said with a smirk. But the Stork suspected nothing, and arrived promptly for dinner, with a healthy appetite.
The Fox served a soup that smelled delicious, but was presented in a shallow bowl. The Stork could only touch the tip of his beak to the meal, while the Fox enthusiastically slurped it up and praised the flavor.
Though annoyed, the Stork decided to bide his time. When some weeks had passed, he invited the Fox over for an appetizing dish. But he served it in a tall, thin vessel — so the Fox could only sniff it. When the Fox became irate, the Stork replied: “Do not play tricks on your neighbor that you cannot stand yourself.”
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In ancient times, it was believed that Wasps were created out of a Mule’s carcass. Human spirits, on the other hand, would take the form of a Butterfly after death.
One of these Butterflies saw a Wasp flying by and gasped. “How unfair!” the Butterfly exclaimed.
“In my past life, I was the one who led armies into wars and inspired crowds with impassioned speeches. Now I flutter about, my paper-thin wings pulled in every direction by the wind. But you, born from the lowliest creature, are equipped with a stinger and can harm anyone who wrongs you.”
The Wasp, unbothered, simply responded: “It does not matter what we were. The important thing is what we are now.”
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A studious Silkworm worked quietly on her Shroud, as her neighbor Spider rushed to finish a vast, thin web. Looking down with haughty contempt, the Spider sneered, “Look how much I have accomplished, beginning just this morning, while you have barely anything to show.”
Calmly the Silkworm replied, “But your labors are destroyed as soon as they are seen, swept away as quickly as dirt. While mine will be preserved for ages and worn by Princes.”
True art is thoughtful, delights and endures.