Randall Grahm

[Craig Camp]

Explore demented ideas.

That is the first thing you see on the Bonny Doon Vineyards webpage. Randall Grahm the proprietor and guiding spirit behind Bonny Doon has made his winery a major power in the California wine industry by exploring demented ideas.. He has done this by breaking all the accepted rules of marketing and by making wines that are as interesting to talk about as they are to drink.

There seems nothing that he is not ready to do. He freezes grapes to make ice wine, he uses wild labels with exotic names, he collaborates with winemakers in Europe, he is dedicated to riesling in California, has a whole line of Italian inspired wines and posed as the Lone Ranger on the cover of the Wine Spectator in his role as the leader of the Rhone Rangers.

It has been almost twenty years since Randall released his first major market disruption, Le Cigare Volant, and became the Rhone Ranger himself. Randall observes:

“The line goes something like this, ‘The temperate climate of coastal California is ideally suited to the grapes of the Rhone Valley.’ This particular mantra does not, perhaps, carry the force or gravity of "Om Namah Shivaya" or "Primum Non Nocere" or even "Illegetimus non Conundrum est" though it has kept this Cigare aloft for quite a few vintages now.”

Get prepared for a ride on the flying cigar. Enjoy the ride and welcome to the eGullet Q and A with Randall Grahm. October Wednesday October 1st and Thursday October 2nd.

This forum will be moderated by Craig Camp. Your questions will not appear immediately after submission, there may be some delay while it is reviewed for content.