St. Louis, MO—September 1, 2022—Winemaking in Missouri: A Well-Cultivated History, a special hour-long documentary from Emmy Award-winning producer and host Catherine Neville, will have its broadcast premiere Monday, September 26, at 8 pm, on Nine PBS.
With the rolling hills of Missouri as a backdrop, the new documentary uncovers the roots of one of the U.S.'s most storied wine regions. Beginning in the early 1800s, European immigrants brought their culinary preferences with them, including the cultivation of grapes for making wine. Vines were planted, grapes harvested, and juice fermented and soon, a wine industry was born. The industry expanded to become one of the leading industries in Missouri, which was for a time the second largest wine-producing state in the country.
The documentary traces the nearly 200-year history of Missouri’s rich winemaking past. From pests to prohibition to the impacts of a changing climate, the documentary features winemakers and experts detailing the history of what is still one of the state’s leading industries.
Weaving historic images with in-depth interviews, Winemaking in Missouri touches on winemaking’s inflection points across the decades. Neville brings together Jon Held from Stone Hill Winery, Pat and Peter Hofherr from St. James Winery, and Angie Geis of Noboleis Winery, along with sommelier Glenn Bardgett and Doug Frost, one of the world’s only dual Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine.
Nine PBS is holding a live screening premiere Friday, September 23 in the Public Media Commons including food and wine samplings. The event will also feature a conversation with Angie Geis and Glenn Bardgett as well as Deanna Depke from Volpi, moderated by Neville. The event is free and open to all while tickets last; registration is required.
In addition, encore broadcasts will air Tuesday, September 27, 10 pm; Saturday, October 1, 2:30 pm; and Sunday, October 2, at 2 pm. It will be available to stream anytime on ninepbs.org and the PBS Video App, and it will broadcast nationally on public television stations and on the Create channel at a later date.The special is a tasteMAKERS production, a national public television series produced by Catherine Neville and presented by Nine PBS.
Photo credit: Catherine Neville at Noboleis Winery. Photo courtesy of Nine PBS / Jason Winkeler Photography.
About Nine PBS
As an essential community institution, Nine PBS magnifies and deepens understanding of our community to help our region flourish. We tell stories that move us. We meet people where they are the most comfortable consuming content. Nine PBS’s platforms include four distinct broadcast channels (Nine PBS, Nine PBS KIDS®, Nine PBS World, and Nine PBS Create), ninepbs.org, social media, the free PBS Video App, streaming services, live and virtual events, and the Public Media Commons. Since 1954, Nine PBS has accepted the community’s invitation into their homes, schools, and businesses. Follow Nine PBS on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
For more information, contact:
Sarah Brandt
Director of Communications
(314) 512-9034
sbrandt@ninepbs.org