A Different Kind of Rootedness
In Hollywood, few actors take the road less traveled as literally as Max Thieriot. Known for gritty roles in SEAL Team and his breakout creative achievement Fire Country, Thieriot has another identity far from the cameras: winemaker. Not a celebrity endorser or casual collector — but a true founder, farmer, and steward of the land through his acclaimed label Senses Wines.
His second life among Sonoma County’s fog-kissed vineyards isn’t a retreat from the spotlight, but a deliberate return to something deeper. It’s about heritage, craft, and a legacy he’s building quietly with every harvest.
“I didn’t want a brand,” Max once said. “I wanted to make something honest. Something alive.”
The Origins of a Dream Planted in Occidental
Max Thieriot’s connection to the land runs generations deep. Raised in the rural community of Occidental, California, surrounded by towering redwoods and resilient families, Max learned early that work was physical and values came from the soil.
After rising to fame as a teen actor, he never lost sight of home. Alongside two high school friends — Myles Lawrence-Briggs and Christopher Strieter — Max began cultivating the idea of founding a winery that would reflect their shared childhood, their local pride, and their grown-up ambition.
That dream became Senses Wines in 2011.
The partners started small, tending to family-owned plots and bottling under their fledgling label. But they didn’t cut corners. They partnered with world-renowned vineyard sites like Charles Heintz, El Diablo, and the B.A. Thieriot Vineyard — named after Max’s own family lineage — to produce ultra-premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Authenticity Over Celebrity
Many expected Senses Wines to ride the wave of Max’s name. But Max refused to be the face of a vanity project. In fact, for the first few years, many wine connoisseurs had no idea there was a Hollywood actor behind the label.
The focus was always on quality — minimal intervention, site-specific expression, and elegant structure. The wines quickly gained recognition in elite circles. Prestigious restaurants like The French Laundry, Benu, and Eleven Madison Park added Senses Wines to their lists — not because of who made them, but because of how good they were.
“Wine doesn’t lie,” Max told Wine Spectator. “It either speaks or it doesn’t.”
Living Between Two Worlds
Balancing his winemaking passion with a full-blown acting and producing career isn’t easy. Thieriot often schedules his trips home around harvest season. During the fall crush, he’s been seen sorting fruit by hand, checking barrel samples, and discussing clones with the vineyard manager — all while on break from filming fire rescue scenes.
Friends say he approaches both crafts — acting and winemaking — with the same respect for process.
“When Max is in the vineyard, he’s not ‘the actor,’” says Strieter. “He’s just Max — farmer, partner, perfectionist.”
Sustainability and Stewardship
What sets Senses Wines apart isn’t just flavor — it’s philosophy. The team prioritizes sustainable farming, including cover cropping, dry farming, and natural pest control. They work with growers who respect biodiversity and long-term soil health, ensuring their wines are not only expressive but responsible.
For Max, this reflects something deeper: a belief in intergenerational legacy. Just as Fire Country explores what one generation passes to the next — for better or worse — Senses Wines is about leaving the land richer than you found it.
“We’re temporary,” he says. “But the land isn’t. We have to treat it like a gift.”
The Future of Senses
With Fire Country soaring in ratings and Senses Wines steadily expanding, Max’s two lives seem to be growing in tandem. He’s even exploring ways to merge them — envisioning a Fire Country–inspired charity wine, or partnering with wildfire relief organizations for vineyard-based events.
Ultimately, his vineyard isn’t a business escape. It’s another chapter in his storytelling — one without scripts, but full of meaning.
“Acting tells you who someone is,” Max reflects. “Wine tells you where they come from.”
