The Terroirist With Randall Grahm + Live Q&A
City Winery NYC presents The Terroirist live on Monday, November 9th, at 7:00 P(opens in a new tab)M!(opens in a new tab)
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with legendary winemaker Randall Grahm and director Jeffrey Reiner, moderated by acclaimed sommelier, winemaker, and author André Hueston Mack. Guests will also receive two pours of Randall’s wine from Popelouchum, his extraordinary vineyard at the center of the film.
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 Vineyard, becoming one of the world’s most celebrated winemakers, and then walking away from the company that made him famous, Randall has risked nearly everything to pursue a singular dream: creating a wine that could exist nowhere else. A wine that truly expresses the land from which it grows, made from vines capable of thriving amid our ever-changing climate.
The Terroirist is about more than wine. It is a story about obsession, connection to the land, ambition, aging, regret, and the complicated cost of refusing to let go of an idea. Like Fitzcarraldo pulling a ship over a mountain, Randall continues pushing toward something that may always remain just beyond his reach—and that he may not live to see fully realized.
Funny, philosophical, and deeply human, the film asks what it means to dedicate your life to a dream—and whether the pursuit itself can ultimately be enough.
Randall Grahm
Winemaker and Subject
Randall Grahm was born in Los Angeles in 1953 and studied philosophy at UC Santa Cruz before studying 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. That dream proved elusive, but his early experimentation with Rhône varieties ultimately led to the iconic Le Cigare Volant.
In 1989, Randall appeared on the cover of Wine Spectator, clad in blue polyester, as “The Rhône Ranger.” The “Rhôneranger” asteroid was named in his honor in 1991, and the James Beard Foundation named him Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year in 1994. In 2009, he received a second James Beard Award for his book, Been Doon So Long: A Randall Grahm Vinthology. He was inducted into the Culinary Institute of America’s Vintners Hall of Fame in 2010 and is widely recognized for his many innovations within the wine industry.
More recently, Randall purchased an extraordinary property near San Juan Bautista, California, which he calls Popelouchum—the Mutsun word for “paradise.” There, he has embarked on his most ambitious undertaking yet: producing true vins de terroir, or “wines of place,” through unorthodox viticultural practices and arcane grape varieties. Despite everything he has already accomplished, Randall sincerely believes his most meaningful work still lies ahead.
Jeffrey Reiner
Director, Producer, Cinematographer and Editor
Jeffrey Reiner is an award-winning film and television director and executive producer whose notable credits include Friday Night Lights, Fargo, Homeland, Dirty John, The Affair, and Lake George. He has received a Golden Globe, a Peabody Award, and multiple American Film Institute Awards for his contributions to film and television.
Darin Bresnitz
Producer
Darin Bresnitz 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 the co-creator and executive producer of Big Appetite, currently streaming on Netflix.
🍽️ We provide food and beverage service directly to your table in the venue. Or, for an expanded menu and more relaxed experience, arrive early and enjoy a meal in our restaurant before the show. When dining in the restaurant, reservations are encouraged and can be made via Resy starting one month before the show. View Our Concert Dining Menu.(opens in a new tab)
Reserve your preferred wine by filling out this form(opens in a new tab) and have a bottle waiting at your table when you arrive at your show. No more waiting for your first drink! We will save your wine preference and have a bottle at your table for all future shows. When you want to change your wine, come back to this form and update your preference.
🎶 While we do not require a two-item food or beverage minimum, we strongly encourage it. Most ticket revenue goes directly to the artist and production costs, so food and drink purchases help support the staff, service, and atmosphere that make these intimate shows possible.
The good news: we think you’ll love the food and wine just as much as the show.
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