Mission
TANNINS exists to reveal the cultural, human, and emotional dimensions of wine through the language of art. Our mission is to help wineries, wine regions, and industry organizations communicate the unique identity of their terroir by transforming stories, traditions, landscapes, and people into meaningful visual experiences. By bringing together fine art, sociology, and storytelling, we create works that deepen the connection between wine and its audience, elevating wine from a product to a lasting cultural expression.
Meet the Team
The people behind TANNINS, bringing together art, architecture, and social research to transform wine heritage into cultural value.
Leo Rebolledo
Artist & Architect
Creative Director
Leo Rebolledo is a Chilean visual artist and architect whose work explores the intersection of art, memory, and cultural identity. For more than three decades, he has developed a distinctive artistic practice centered on figurative painting, guided by a deep interest in storytelling, symbolism, and the emotional power of visual narratives.
Born in Chile and now based in the United States, Leo brings a multidisciplinary perspective shaped by both artistic and architectural training. His work has been exhibited internationally and recognized by leading art institutions and publications, while his ongoing research into unconventional materials has led him to explore wine as a medium capable of conveying place, history, and human experience.
At TANNINS, Leo leads the creative vision and artistic development of each project. Through paintings created with wine sourced directly from vineyards, he translates the character of a terroir into visual form, transforming wine from a product into a cultural narrative. By combining fine art, observation, and a deep sensitivity to place, his work seeks to reveal the stories, traditions, and identities that exist behind every bottle.
Vanessa Zúñiga
Sociologist
Research Director
Vanessa Zúñiga is a sociologist whose work bridges cultural understanding and academic research to explore how meaning is created, shared, and experienced. Born in Chile, where wine is deeply woven into everyday life, collective memory, and social rituals, she brings a perspective that views wine as a cultural expression rather than simply a commodity.
Alongside her work with TANNINS, Vanessa is an accomplished researcher with more than two decades of experience at Yale University, where she designs and leads complex studies on human behavior, trust, and community engagement. Her work is grounded in rigorous methodology, providing deep insight into how people connect, assign value, and build lasting relationships.
This unique combination of cultural awareness and research expertise informs her approach to wine. By applying sociological perspectives to the world of wine, she helps uncover and communicate its deeper cultural significance. Through the integration of art, storytelling, and research-based frameworks, Vanessa contributes to redefining wine as an experience shaped by creativity, human connection, and enduring meaning.