Broadcast debut of Winemaking in Missouri + screening at Nine PBS

Winemaking in Missouri: A Well-Cultivated History, tasteMAKERS’ special hour-long documentary, will have its broadcast premiere Monday, September 26, at 8 pm, on Nine PBS.

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 also be available to stream anytime on ninepbs.org and the PBS Video App.

Beginning in November, the documentary will begin airing natinally on public television stations, with distribution by American Public Television. The show will air across the country, so check local listings for your local station’s schedule. In addition, Winemaking in Missouri will air on the Create channel.

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 cheese from Marcoot Jersey Creamery, charcuterie from Volpi Foods and wine samplings of gold-medal winners from this year’s Missouri Wine Competition. The event will also feature a conversation with Angie Geis of Noboleis Vineyards and Glenn Bardgett of Annie Gunn’s, moderated by Neville. The event is free and open to all while tickets last; registration is required.

Winemaking in Missouri is sponsored by Midwest Dairy and the Missouri Pork Association, with special support from Missouri Wines.