It wasn't long ago that Terah Bajjalieh traded in her finance degree for wine. The Bay Area native admits that she knew almost nothing about wine when she pivoted, but she knew finance didn’t fulfill a passion or drive.
“I found this three-month wine program and decided to just do it for fun,” Bajjalieh recalls. “The instructors were all Master Sommeliers, extremely passionate about what they were teaching, and it ignited something in me. I have always wanted to travel the world and pursue a career that will hopefully get me abroad, and I realized I could explore food and culture and travel through wine.”
Bajjalieh traversed the globe for the next decade, working harvests in Australia, New Zealand, California, Oregon and France. Along the way, she immersed herself in wine, earning a master's degree in enology and viticulture from L'Institut Agro in Montpellier, France; a Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 3 award in wine & spirits; and a Level 2 sommelier certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers.
In 2020, Bajjalieh founded Terah Wine Co., producing 120 cases in the garage of a friend and fellow aspirational winemaker. She founded her brand on the principles of minimal intervention winemaking while working with small independent grapegrowers who farm organically or biodynamically. Her range of wines features common varieties such as Grenache and Syrah but also underutilized grapes including Barbera and Vermentino.
Today, the brand has grown to 1,500 cases and cultivated both an impressive local following and a growing presence in new markets. In April of this year, Bajjalieh was invited to pour her wines for U.S. State Department staff, diplomats and embassy ambassadors during an Arab American Heritage Month event at Blair House in Washington, D.C.
Bajjalieh is proud to be an LGBTQ+ Palestinian American winemaker. Rather than shun labels, she embraces them because she believes they create awareness. “There are negativities with putting labels on people, but through the constraints, there's progress being made,” she explains. “It helps to kind of normalize these things, and it's helped consumers be aware, which translates to consumer support.”
Bajjalieh spoke to Wine Spectator senior editor Aaron Romano about growing up in a Palestinian American household, what inspired her to work with “offbeat” grape varieties from organic and biodynamic vineyards, the challenges of feeling comfortable in her own skin within a challenging and sometimes narrow wine industry, and how she can be an ambassador for good.
Bajjalieh says when she looks back 20 years from now, she'll be proud of staying true to herself. “I would rather feel like I'm making a difference. I think I'll enjoy the process a little more.”
Wine Spectator: Did growing up Palestinian American inform your interest in food and wine?
I kind of experienced both cultures simultaneously. My parents were a little more westernized than my grandparents. But as a child, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. I always loved food, and I grew up cooking with my grandmother. I always enjoyed my time with her, and she taught me about [Palestinian] culture. Also, I watched all the cooking shows in the early 2000s, and rockstar chefs like Anthony Bourdain created a culture around food and a lifestyle I connected with.
At home, food was always on the table, and cooking and sharing food was how I learned to show love. As I got older, I yearned for that connection and that feeling of love through food. Once I started working in wine, it just felt right, and I didn't question myself anymore.
How did you get your first winery gig?
Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis knew I was trying to get a harvest internship, but I had a hard time because I had no experience. She connected me with Familia Zuccardi in Mendoza. In 2012, I went down there and worked in their tasting room full-time. And at night, I worked in the cellar. That was my first entry into production.
I spent about five years working two to three harvests a year. I've worked for Torbreck and St. Hallett in the Barossa Valley, [Australia], Wither Hills in Marlborough, [New Zealand], DuMol in Sonoma, Joseph Phelps in the Freestone property and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in Napa. I studied enology and viticulture in Montpellier [France], and after grad school, I worked for Domaine de Montille [in Burgundy].
Where did your interest in natural winemaking and working with organic and biodynamic vineyards begin?
France really opened me up to natural wine and biodynamic farming. I started to understand how farming could play a role in [wine] quality. There were these wild and not perfectly manicured vineyards, with wild grasses and flowers and things like that. In my mind, the alive and energetic wines I was tasting had a lot to do with farming. Also, working for Andy Smith at DuMol taught me about focusing in on vineyard sites and making small batches that showcase where they're from.
Many people are interested in wine, but most don't take the leap into owning their own winery. How did you start Terah Wine Co.?
I was laid off in 2020 and realized I needed to utilize that free time to do something positive for myself. In a perfect world, I probably would have had a full-time job to make the transition a little bit easier, and I probably would have been content managing an estate and having a 20-year career somewhere. But maybe I wouldn't have pursued this route. It's a ton of work. But it's been fulfilling in a different way, allowing me to focus my drive on something for me.
Initially, I wanted to challenge myself as a winemaker, which meant working with varieties I had little experience with, trying techniques like skin contact or making sparkling wines. I thought it would also be a way to distinguish myself. It's really tough to compete with Pinot Noir or Chardonnay producers, from both grape and marketing dollars. It's taken me quite a bit of time to find vineyards and create a portfolio. Each vineyard relationship came about in different ways. For example, I was referred to Ann Kraemer of Shake Ridge by one of my mentors. All she had available was Barbera. But it turns out that it's exactly what I wanted. It has a lot of acidity and is really expressive.
What has it been like working in the wine industry as a gay Palestinian American woman?
There've been a lot of issues about being a woman in the space, dealing with men who were maybe threatened or felt that they needed to assert their authority, which sort of stifled how much I could pursue within certain organizations.
I didn't always share that I was Palestinian. It wasn't exactly something I felt comfortable sharing. And there have been very few situations where I felt comfortable being myself or felt comfortable divulging that, or even about being gay.
Ironically enough, now I'm the face of this business, and people want to know the story and get to know me. It's been this weird transition, but I've realized that being out and forthcoming about being part of the LGBTQ+ community has helped a lot of young people see someone similar to themselves doing something like this.
Have you faced any discrimination or difficulties in the industry?
When I was working in Australia, I shared that I was gay and was immediately pulled out of the lab and [transferred] to the cellar because the person who I shared that with was uncomfortable.
I also interviewed for a job maybe six years ago, and they asked what ethnicity I was—which you’re not supposed to do in an interview—and when I shared I was Palestinian, he made the assumption that I was Muslim and said, “How do your parents feel about you making alcohol?” Not only am I not Muslim, but it was kind of bizarre because I had already had maybe 10 years of experience in the industry.
How do you or others create a welcoming culture?
I do think there's been a ton of progress for sure. There are tons of scholarships these days being offered to young people that did not exist when I was coming up. I've been witnessing a lot of young people, like [entrepreneur] Maryam Ahmed. She has several different businesses she's building. More people [like her] are coming into the fold and feeling comfortable pursuing their own paths. So, I think we've come a long way. And I think we have a long way to go. But the fact that people are starting to do their own thing and seeing success—and commitment and support—from community, I think is what allowed this to flourish a little more.
Do you have people in the industry who mentored or inspired you?
Andy Smith at DuMol had an assistant. She no longer works for him; her name is Julie Cooper. She taught me how to run a cellar and how to manage people. Most importantly, she trusted me, challenged me and gave me the space to grow. That meant a lot at the time because I didn't always get those experiences. She gave me a lot of mentorship, and I'm really thankful for that.
And, going back to Ann Kraemer: She built her career in Napa and decided to do her own thing. I gained a lot of value and inspiration from seeing women who have succeeded in creating their own paths because I'm having to do the same.
