Their Story
Peony Lane is a family-owned natural winery growing grapes at 5,680 feet in Colorado's West Elks AVA, the highest-elevation wine region in North America. Ben Justman took over the vineyard his family planted in 2004 and launched the winery in 2019 with no formal winemaking background and a lot of conviction, and the wines he's making are genuinely worth the attention.
Their Story
Peony Lane is a family-owned natural winery growing grapes at 5,680 feet in Colorado's West Elks AVA, the highest-elevation wine region in North America. Ben Justman took over the vineyard his family planted in 2004 and launched the winery in 2019 with no formal winemaking background and a lot of conviction, and the wines he's making are genuinely worth the attention.
Good to Know
- Based in Paonia, Colorado, in the North Fork Valley; tasting room open Friday through Sunday, 11am to 6pm
- Known for small-lot, minimal-intervention wines: wild fermentation, no filtering or fining, no herbicides or pesticides, and only trace sulfites added at bottling; the lineup includes Estate Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, and a white blend
- The altitude does real work here, intense UV and wide temperature swings concentrate the fruit, and dry farming pushes the vines to develop deep roots; Vivino rates the wines around 4.1/5 across the catalog, and they've taken Governor's Cup awards in 2022, 2023, and 2024
- Ships to most U.S. states; free shipping on orders of six or more bottles
- Production is small and wines sell out regularly; the wine club is the reliable way to stay stocked
Good to Know
- Based in Paonia, Colorado, in the North Fork Valley; tasting room open Friday through Sunday, 11am to 6pm
- Known for small-lot, minimal-intervention wines: wild fermentation, no filtering or fining, no herbicides or pesticides, and only trace sulfites added at bottling; the lineup includes Estate Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, and a white blend
- The altitude does real work here, intense UV and wide temperature swings concentrate the fruit, and dry farming pushes the vines to develop deep roots; Vivino rates the wines around 4.1/5 across the catalog, and they've taken Governor's Cup awards in 2022, 2023, and 2024
- Ships to most U.S. states; free shipping on orders of six or more bottles
- Production is small and wines sell out regularly; the wine club is the reliable way to stay stocked
Bitcoin Roots
Ben Justman is one of the more genuine Bitcoin-in-business stories out there. When he was struggling financially in the early years, Bitcoiners who believed in what he was doing started paying for wine with Bitcoin, and that community support helped keep the winery alive. That experience shaped how he runs the business today; he accepts Bitcoin via Lightning Network, converts a percentage of yearly sales into Bitcoin as a savings practice, and has largely shifted his customer base toward Bitcoiners by choice. He's made the case for low-time-preference thinking as a framework for both winemaking and business on a long list of Bitcoin podcasts.
Bitcoin Roots
Ben Justman is one of the more genuine Bitcoin-in-business stories out there. When he was struggling financially in the early years, Bitcoiners who believed in what he was doing started paying for wine with Bitcoin, and that community support helped keep the winery alive. That experience shaped how he runs the business today; he accepts Bitcoin via Lightning Network, converts a percentage of yearly sales into Bitcoin as a savings practice, and has largely shifted his customer base toward Bitcoiners by choice. He's made the case for low-time-preference thinking as a framework for both winemaking and business on a long list of Bitcoin podcasts.
