It used to be that my wine cup runneth close to empty outside of print media. I’ve written on a couple of occasions about the lack of wine media in video form—no cable channel in a universe of 300 stations. This struck me as odd given the diversity and growing interest level in wine across all age segments, particularly the savvy 21 – 34 age group, also highly coveted by advertisers.
And, surely, if there is room for five televangelist channels and two shopping channels on my cable system, there’s room for a channel for those that kneel at the altar of the grape.
I mean, if a cable channel can satisfactorily show “Flavor of Love” or “What Not to Wear” and find an audience than I know that a wine show would go over well.
Mind you, when I mention “What Not to Wear” or another garbage reality show, I am not lumping in “Top Chef” on Bravo! into the same category. “Top Chef” is must-see TV in my house. Other wine bloggers may deign to ascend to a threshold above television, in particular reality television. Not me. I love “Top Chef.” My wife watches Grey’s Anatomy, I watch Top Chef. (If you’re a wine blogger and you want to be humbled, too, check out the Top Chef blogs and see the hundreds to thousands of comments that their blogs elicit, as well).
In regards to wine on TV, ask and ye shall receive, apparently. My wine video cup may now runneth over (flowing).
We’re now presented with options—some are online only, some will be on television and all of them fighting for the attention of wine lovers.
In fact, “Top Chef” figures prominently in one of the television offerings as season 1 contestant Stephen Asprinio has signed on to host “Wine Chefs” on the newly developing Wine Television (web site at http://www.winetelevision.tv forthcoming).
Asprinio, for those that watched the show, was the antagonistic foil in Season 1, demonstrating dismissive derision for virtually everybody. Well, now he has his own show. Stephen is notable, for readers of a wine blog, because he does have an interesting take on his own personal branding—he’s the guy that wants to intrinsically marry food and wine together. It’s not front of house versus back of the house, he’s versed in both and was the youngest person ever to pass US Sommelier Association’s Certificate Exam at 19 and one of the youngest to pass the Court of Master Sommelier’s Certificate course shortly after turning 21. Still his tv persona needs some refining, but, hey, Bobby Flay had some rough edges that needed smoothing, too.
The press release says:
Celebrity Sommelier & Chef Stephen Asprinio has signed on to host Wine Television’s ‘Wine Chefs.” Asprinio will host Wine Chefs as well as an online subscription based wine course and wine tasting, targeting the next generation of wine consumers. Wine Chefs and the innovative online wine course will take a young and exciting approach to the hip, new world of wine, food and popular culture that exists in the 21st Century.
“Stephen Asprinio will be the next great celebrity in the food and wine world, representing the next generation of foodies and wine lovers. His passion and rock and roll attitude is contagious and he will certainly build a loyal fan base,” said Wine Television CEO and founder John Atanasio.
According to the press release, Wine Television will launch in a multi-platform way that includes linear, Video on Demand, Satellite, Broadband, and Internet beginning in September 2007.
Other pending video options are two shows that will be running on a PBS station near you. “Uncorked” is a wine show taped at wineries and vineyards worldwide (Hosted by Ted Allen—co-host for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, guest judge on Iron Chef and guest judge on Top Chef, too) and the other is the much talked about in the wine blogosphere offering, “The Winemakers” a “Survivor” meets the vineyard show.
Over at Penfolds, the Aussie winery, an online show called “Character” was released on the site on June 14th and is an interview-style show while guests sip wine.
Elsewhere, there’s as much online wine content you could want (of somewhat questionable interest level, albeit) at thewinerychannel.tv—including a character called “Rex Havoc” and his horse “Brokeback”
Like I said, ask and ye shall receive. Some of this content (actually most of this content) is still finding its sea legs, and certainly poses no online risk to the audience that Winelibrary.tv has built. It’s worth a spin if you have 30 minutes of downtime, but don’t say I didn’t warn you about its relative merit for a very savvy wine audience.