Apple TV's critically acclaimed series returns with a new season that expands its high-stakes wine tasting competition into a global mystery, continuing the story of Camille Léger and Issei Tomine.
Apple TV has officially premiered the second season of Drops of God, the award-winning drama that has quietly become one of the platform's most respected series. New episodes are releasing every Wednesday through March 11, 2026, continuing the unique story that blends wine culture, family drama, and international competition.
What Makes Drops of God Different
Unlike many streaming series that chase broad appeal through familiar genres, Drops of God has built its reputation on specificity and authenticity. The series follows Camille Léger, a young French woman who discovers her estranged father—a legendary wine critic—has died, leaving behind an extraordinary collection. To claim her inheritance, she must compete against Issei Tomine, her father's Japanese protégé, in a series of blind tastings that span continents and decades of wine history.
The show's foundation in real wine culture gives it a distinctive texture. The blind tastings aren't just plot devices; they're genuine explorations of terroir, vintage, and the subjective experience of wine appreciation. The series has earned praise from wine enthusiasts and critics alike for its commitment to authenticity, treating wine not as a prop but as a complex cultural artifact.
Critical Acclaim and International Recognition
The series' quality is reflected in its accolades. Drops of God won the 2024 International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series, a significant achievement for a non-English language production. Its first season holds a perfect 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating near-universal critical approval.
This success stems partly from the source material. The series is adapted from a manga of the same name by Tadashi Agi, a pseudonym for the brother-and-sister writing team Yuko and Shin Kibayashi. The manga itself achieved remarkable success, reaching the New York Times manga bestsellers list—a rare feat for a series focused on wine culture rather than traditional manga genres like action or fantasy.
Apple's acquisition of the rights for a U.S.-French-Japanese production demonstrates the company's strategy of investing in distinctive, high-quality international content that differentiates Apple TV from competitors focused on mass-market entertainment.
Season 2: Expanding the Mystery
The second season takes the core premise and expands it into a broader, more complex narrative. According to Apple's synopsis, Camille and Issei are "thrust into their most perilous challenge yet: to uncover the origin of the world's greatest wine, a mystery so profound that even their legendary father, Alexandre Léger, could not solve it."
This shift from a personal inheritance battle to a historical mystery changes the stakes significantly. The series moves beyond the immediate family drama into a search that "spans continents and centuries, unearthing forgotten histories, hidden rivalries and secrets buried for generations."
The narrative structure suggests the series will explore wine's role in different cultures and historical periods, potentially examining how wine production and appreciation have evolved across civilizations. This historical dimension could provide rich material for exploring themes of legacy, cultural exchange, and the transmission of knowledge across generations.
Production and International Collaboration
The production of Drops of God represents a unique international collaboration. Apple TV's approach to the series involves filming across multiple countries, reflecting the global nature of the story. This production strategy aligns with Apple's broader investment in international content that can appeal to global audiences while maintaining cultural specificity.
The series' multilingual nature—incorporating French, Japanese, and English—adds another layer of authenticity. Rather than standardizing the dialogue for English-speaking audiences, the series maintains the linguistic diversity of its characters, with subtitles allowing viewers to experience the cultural nuances of each language.
Technical Considerations for Viewers
For Apple TV users, accessing the series requires an Apple TV+ subscription, which costs $12.99 per month. The series is available on all Apple TV devices, including the Apple TV 4K hardware, as well as through the Apple TV app on other platforms like smart TVs, gaming consoles, and mobile devices.
The series benefits from Apple's high-quality streaming infrastructure, which supports 4K HDR with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos audio. This technical capability is particularly relevant for Drops of God, as the visual presentation of wine—the color, clarity, and texture—plays an important role in the storytelling.
Context in Apple TV's Content Strategy
Drops of God occupies a specific niche within Apple TV's content library. While the platform has gained recognition for prestige dramas like Severance and The Morning Show, Drops of God represents a different kind of investment—series that explore specialized subjects with depth and authenticity.
This approach reflects Apple's broader content strategy, which includes diverse offerings such as Slow Horses (spy thriller), For All Mankind (alternate history), and Ted Lasso (sports comedy). By maintaining this variety, Apple TV avoids becoming pigeonholed into a single genre while building a reputation for quality across different categories.
The Broader Appeal of Specialized Storytelling
The success of Drops of God demonstrates that audiences are willing to engage with specialized, subject-driven content when it's executed with quality and authenticity. The series doesn't require viewers to be wine experts to appreciate the story, but it rewards those who are interested in the subject matter with genuine depth.
This model of "expertise-driven storytelling" has broader implications for content creation. Rather than simplifying complex subjects for mass consumption, Drops of God trusts viewers to engage with specialized knowledge, using the subject matter as a foundation for character development and narrative tension.
For developers and technologists in the streaming space, Drops of God represents an interesting case study in content strategy. The series shows how platforms can differentiate themselves through quality rather than quantity, and how international collaboration can produce content that transcends cultural boundaries while maintaining local authenticity.
Looking Ahead
As the season progresses through its weekly release schedule, viewers can expect the mystery of the world's greatest wine to unfold across multiple timelines and locations. The series' commitment to historical accuracy and cultural specificity suggests that each episode will offer both narrative progression and educational value.
The relationship between Camille and Issei—already complex in the first season—will likely deepen as they navigate this new challenge together. The series' exploration of sibling dynamics, cultural differences, and shared passion for wine provides a rich emotional foundation for the historical mystery at the center of season 2.
For Apple TV, the continued success of Drops of God reinforces the platform's investment in distinctive, high-quality content that appeals to discerning audiences. While the series may not achieve the mainstream cultural impact of some Apple TV hits, its critical acclaim and dedicated fanbase demonstrate the value of specialized storytelling in an increasingly crowded streaming landscape.
New episodes of Drops of God season 2 premiere every Wednesday through March 11, 2026, exclusively on Apple TV+.
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