Mixing Art and Ocean into Rooted Vine Cellars

Given that wine country tour operators steadily visit vineyards, meet winemakers, and witness the cutting edge of what’s happening in the scene, it’s a wonder that more haven’t developed their own brands. Then again, Iaon Pohlit of Rooted Vine Wine Cellars isn’t like most people in the wine business. 

For one, Pohlit lives on a wooden Tahitian catamaran — and not in the harbor, but anchored to a mooring in the fool’s anchorage off East Beach. He’s an avid free diver and spearfishermen, regularly hunting massive tuna, halibut, and bass from the sea. And he single-handedly — and against long odds in the competitive wine tourism business — built Rooted Vine Wine Tours into a successful enterprise, enjoying big years by driving across the wine country landscape even in these down times. 

The pull between ocean and earth ocean is at the heart of his work, now also as a winemaker. “For me, that tension that’s created in this environment is really what it’s all about,” explained the Wichita State art major who came to Santa Barbara 25 years ago, working for restaurants before launching his tour company a decade ago. “As an artist, I want to focus on the most soulful part of it or I won’t get the satisfaction out of it that I want. That journey inward — that ethereal experience that wine gives you that you can’t get from beer or any other alcohol — is the name of the game.”

Since launching with 50 cases of his Ocean & Earth pinot noir in 2021, Pohlit now makes nearly a dozen wines, hoping to hit 1,500 cases annually. With inventory stacking up, he opened his Solvang tasting room in December, where his own art adorns the walls. “I want this place to sustain itself,” he said. “If it makes money on top, that’s great.”

In a personal twist, Pohlit was actually my assistant for a number of years, helping to enter reviews into the Wine Enthusiast database in exchange for beaucoup bottles. I’m not sure if that taught him anything, but he’s certainly evolved in his approach to wine. 

“In my mind, wine was a classy way to get drunk and helped my renaissance man persona,” said Pohlit of his college days, when he took his first wine chemistry class. “I rarely drink anymore and when I do, I want it to be an experience, not just a headache the next day.”

In the cellar, he prefers to let the vineyard do the work. “I’m inherently lazy,” he laughed. “The process is the focus for me, and reducing it to the simplest level, just like I do with art — that’s my strongest suit.”

He credits tour guiding for leading him on this path. “I don’t think there’s a better job to have experience in the wine industry than being a wine tour operator — I’ve seen behind the curtain a lot,” said Pohlit. Somehow, that didn’t discourage him. “I didn’t want another job,” he said. “Starting a wine label was something I did to challenge myself.”

Rooted Vine Cellars will be at the Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure in Solvang on February 7. See rootedvinecellars.com.