South Carolina ETV
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ETV to Premiere New Reality TV Series “The Winemakers”
For Immediate Release
September 25, 2009
Foodies have “Top Chef,” fashionistas have “Project Runway,” and now wine lovers have a reality TV show all their own. Beginning in October, ETV will premiere the new reality TV series “The Winemakers.”
Statewide broadcast times for the series are: Monday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday-Friday, Oct. 27-30 at 7 p.m. Back-to-back encore episodes air Saturday, Oct. 31 from noon until 3 p.m.
The series, presented nationally by South Carolina ETV in partnership with Doc City Productions, joins twelve men and women as they compete for a chance to create and launch their own wine label nationwide. The first season of six 30-minute episodes follows a passionate and diverse group of contestants from the vineyard to the boardroom as they struggle to make their wildest dream come true.
More than two years in the making, “The Winemakers” is a unique concept that offers a refreshing approach to traditional wine programming. Polly Kosko, ETV’s executive vice president of National Programming is not only a fan of the idea but believes the show will attract new audiences to public television, “It’s a perfect match. The Winemakers will appeal to the PBS viewer who is already interested in culinary programming, and will attract new audiences who are fans of the reality genre. It’s a win-win for our audiences.”
“The Winemakers” employs some of the same devices used on other competitive reality TV shows including action-packed challenges, dramatic elimination scenes and the heartbreak of being asked “to leave the wine cellar.” But in keeping with public television’s reputation for quality programming that entertains and informs, the program offers a rare insider’s view of how the world’s most storied beverage is made and sold.
“This has been an amazing experience for the cast -- truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” says Leslie Sbrocco, one of the three main judges, and well-known wine writer and author. “Many of the contestants are truly passionate about wine but whether they have what it takes to become a winemaker, well that’s another story.”
Other main judges include Mark Oldman, author of the bestselling Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine, and Los Angeles-based wine writer Corie Brown. A host of guest judges also include Food & Wine magazine writer Lettie Teague, and wine expert Doug Frost who holds the distinction of being only one of three people worldwide to hold both a Master of Wine and Master Sommelier title.
South Carolina ETV is the state's public educational broadcasting network with 11 television and eight radio transmitters, and a multi-media educational system in more than 2,500 schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies. Using television, radio and the web, SCETV's mission is to enrich lives by educating children, informing and connecting citizens, celebrating our culture and environment and instilling the joy of learning.
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For more information, contact Rob Schaller at (803) 737-6556 or rschaller@scetv.org.
Photos may be downloaded for the sole purpose of publicizing this program. To download an image, click on the picture below. A new Web page will open containing the hi-res version. Right click on the hi-res image, and select "Save As" or "Save Picture As."
"The Winemakers" Host Brian Dedenroth
"The Winemakers" Judges: Wine writer and author Leslie Sbrocco, bestselling author Mark Oldman, Wine business writer Corie Brown,
"The Winemakers" Host Brian Dedenroth
Photos may be downloaded for the sole purpose of publicizing this program. To download an image, click on the picture below. A new Web page will open containing the hi-res version. Right click on the hi-res image, and select "Save As" or "Save Picture As."
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