Press Releases

Film explores the growth and challenges of Kentucky's grape and wine industry

 

For Immediate Release
Monday, December 22, 2014
For more information contact:
Ted Sloan
(502) 564-1138

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky wineries – and the dedicated, hard-working people who run them – are the subject of a new documentary that will debut on public television later this month.

“Unbridled Vines: Kentucky’s Finest” will air on KETKY Dec. 27 at 10 a.m. EST and on KET Dec. 28 at 3:30 p.m. The program will be rebroadcast at other times on KET and KETKY through February.

 

"This documentary provides a rare glimpse into the lives and businesses of our farmers and producers in the grape and wine industry," said Kristen Branscum, executive director of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's marketing office. "After watching this film, customers will have a new appreciation for Kentucky wine because they will know how much time, effort, and pride are in each bottle."

 

“Kentucky’s modern wine industry has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years,” said Tyler Madison, co-executive producer and director of the film. “I think it’s safe to assume that Kentucky can now be viewed as an emerging wine region with a bright future – if not still a hidden gem to many. It’s not all a walk in the park, though; from battling late spring frosts in the vineyard to getting bottles on store shelves, we also looked at the challenges vineyard and winery owners throughout the state face on a daily basis.”

“In keeping with our tradition of showcasing Kentucky success stories, KET is proud to present this new documentary that shines a spotlight on our growing wine-making industry,” said Craig Cornwell, KET’s director of programming.

A year in the making, “Unbridled Vines” features interviews with a cross-section of Kentucky winemakers. The interviews are shown against a backdrop of Kentucky’s lush landscapes and scenes of the winemakers and their workers – many of them family members – in the winemaking process from the vine to the bottle.

The 30-minute film was produced by High Impact Productions of Lexington, which also produced the award-winning 2009 documentary “Vintage Kentucky: The Vine to Wine Experience.” The co-executive producers and directors were Madison, of the Kentucky Grape and Wine Council and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s grape and wine marketing specialist, and Doug High of High Impact and a news anchor at WTVQ-TV in Lexington.

Post Time Productions of Lexington actualized the cinematography and editing of the film for High Impact, with Kaitlyn Foree as producer and editor and James Ochsenbein serving as director of photography. Their 6K RED Epic Dragon camera system, which captures nine times the pixels of HD, was utilized for maximum detail of the subject matter on screen.

“Unbridled Vines” was produced in cooperation with the Kentucky Grape and Wine Council and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

For a list of broadcast dates and times, go to www.ket.org. To find out more about Kentucky’s grape and wine industry, visit www.kentuckywine.com.