Local Biodynamic Winery Suffers as Hipster Wine Shops Focus on European Imports

I called Martin Pohl, at Beaver Creek Vineyards up in Middletown yesterday, to find him a little down on life. "We have been on the phone trying to get loans," Pohl said.

Pohl of Beaver Creek Vineyards with his "Survivor,"
a Petite Sirah named for the 2015 Lake County fires

He was hit by the Lake County fires in 2015 and proved resilient enough to pull through, even naming his 2015 Petite Sirah "Survivor." A third of his 22 acres of vines burned, but he replanted.

Then more fires closed nearby Harbin Hot Springs, once the source of a steady flow of visitors driving by, for three years. The hot spring resort opened up again after a major renovation in 2019, only to close again this spring due to the pandemic.

"Only our distribution channel is keeping us going," Pohl said. (His wines are distributed by Mountain Peoples Wine.) His wines are sold in a few Whole Foods stores.

The small, artisanal winery makes affordably priced wines from only biodynamic or organic grapes. Pohl vinifies them in a pure way.

Yet he can't get his wines into the Bay Area's hipster wine shops. He's just not one of the "cool kids."

Yet, in my humble opinion, Martin is one of the very cool kids. He dry farms, he uses no sulfur on his vines, he is committed to organic and biodynamic practices (and certification) and his wines are very good especially for the price.


Beaver Creek's Fairytale Cab lists for the reasonable price of $29 and their Merlot for $24. Case prices are lower. Pohl just doesn't have a super hip website or a PR person or a heavy duty marketer. And he's in Lake County.

"We were planning on updating our website and getting new labels this year," he said, "but now...?"

So why won't Punchdown, Bi-Rite and all the others purveyors of local foods buy and carry his wines?

When he tried Dry Farm Wines, they said they do not buy wines made in the U.S.

"They say they would rather buy European wines, better prices. But what about local? I'm local," he said, "and our wine stores aren't supporting that. Why not?"

Good question. Organic and biodynamic, good wine, and LOCAL. Sounds good to me.