Bill Taylor Snr and his sons John and Bill came up with the idea of establishing a business in the wine industry. All three Taylors were avid wine - drinkers and were particularly passionate about French clarets like the Chateau Mouton Rothschild hailing from the Bordeaux region. Being experienced on wines, they went on to create their own range of sophisticated wines. When the vineyard dam of Clare Valley was excavated, the Taylor family got convinced that the terra rossa soil of the region was perfect for grape - growing and winemaking. They adopted the seahorse as their symbol as they found fossilized remains of tiny seahorses in the limestone bedrock.