Synopsis
The Terroirist follows legendary winemaker, writer, and lifelong troublemaker Randall Grahm on his most personal pursuit yet: growing the first truly American grape. After introducing generations of Americans to new wines through his label, Bonny Doon, becoming one of the most celebrated winemakers in the world, and then walking away from the company that made him famous, Randall has risked nearly everything to pursue his singular dream of creating a wine that could exist nowhere else. A wine that truly expresses the land from which it grows. In addition, vines that can thrive in our everchanging climate conditions.
Watch
The Terroirist is coming to your favorite streaming sites November 13, 2026.
Directed by
Jeffrey Reiner
Produced by
Jeffrey Reiner
Darin Bresnitz
Starring
Randall Grahm
Other names TBA
Music By
Evan Reiner
Sound Design by
Leslie Schatz
Runtime:
88 minutes
Rating: NR
Trailer coming soon
JEFFREY REINER
Director / Producer / Cinematographer / Editor
Jeffrey is an award-winning film and television director and executive producer, with notable credits including the iconic Friday Night Lights, Fargo, Homeland, Dirty John, The Affair, and Lake George. He has been awarded a Golden Globe, a Peabody, and multiple American Film Institute Awards for his outstanding contributions to film and television.
DARIN BRESNITZ
Producer
Darin is a journalist, producer, and host whose work explores the intersection of food, culture, and creativity. He has interviewed more than a thousand chefs, winemakers, restaurateurs, and creative leaders, building a career that spans television, podcasts, live events, and editorial storytelling. He is the creator and host of Five Rules for the Good Life, and co-creator and executive producer of Big Appetite, currently streaming on Netflix.
RANDALL GRAHM
Randall was born in Los Angeles in 1953, studied philosophy at UC Santa Cruz, and later plant science at UC Davis. With his family's assistance, Randall purchased property in the Santa Cruz Mountains and established Bonny Doon Vineyard, intent on producing the Great American Pinot Noir. The GAPN proved elusive, but he was encouraged by early experimentation with Rhône varieties, the upshot of which was the iconic Le Cigare Volant. In 1989, Randall appeared on the cover of Wine Spectator, clad in blue polyester, as "The Rhône Ranger." In 1991, Randall was honored to have the Rhôneranger asteroid named after him, and he was proclaimed Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year by the James Beard Foundation in 1994. In 2009 he received a second award from the foundation for his book, Been Doon So Long: A Randall Grahm Vinthology. In 2010, he was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame by the Culinary Institute of America and is well recognized by the wine industry for his many innovations.
More recently, Randall purchased an extraordinary property near San Juan Bautista, CA, which he calls Popelouchum (the Mutsun word for paradise), with very ambitious plans to produce true vins de terroir, or "wines of place," deploying rather unorthodox viticultural practices and arcane varieties. He sincerely believes his most useful work lies ahead of him.