FRANKFORT, Ky. — As the winery business continues to grow in the state, television viewers will get a chance to see the industry through the eyes of producers via a new documentary.

According to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA), Unbridled Vines: Kentucky’s Finest is airing on the state’s public television network, KET.

“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 KDA 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.”

Tyler Madison, director of KDA’s grape and wine program also served as co-executive producer and director of the film. He said Kentucky’s modern wine industry has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. 

“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,” he said. “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.”

Madison said this is the second film produced about Kentucky’s wine industry, with the latest placing an emphasis on how the state has become a legitimate force in the region’s wine industry.

“We’re still in our growing stage, and we can look back at how far we’ve come to where we are now and then to look forward to where we’ll be in another five to ten years,” he said.

In a state known more for bourbon than wine, Madison said it may come as a surprise to the general public how popular wine production has become in Kentucky, as well as other states. 

“Most people go to the store and expect to see California wines, and that’s what they associate with U.S. wine industry,” he said.

“But you’re also seeing a lot more labels on the shelves from Washington, Oregon, New York and Virginia, so as the wine industry in the U.S. continues to grow, I think people are becoming a lot more aware of the fact that great wine doesn’t have to be made in California.”

While the consumer may have taken awhile to convince, Madison said there were a lot of others who believed wine production here could be successful for quite a while – like lawmakers who helped to steer money toward the (Kentucky) Grape and Wine Council (KGWC) and the industry as a whole during its infancy.

“There were definitely people there the whole time that saw the potential, and luckily it has come to fruition,” he said. “We really are making some nice wines now.” That fact was evident during the 13th annual Wines of the South competition held last October in Knoxville, Tenn.

According to information from KGWC, “Wight-Meyer Winery of Shepherdsville won Best of White for its Diamond wine. Purple Toad Winery of Paducah won Best of Fruit for its Black Peach. Wight-Meyer’s Diamond also won concordance gold, and its Riesling and Diamond/Concord Rose wines captured gold medals. Purple Toad won concordance golds for its Black Peach, Black Currant, Lauren’s Blackberry and Paducah Peach wines and gold medals for its Allen’s Blueberry, Black & Bruised, Killer B’s, Sangria, and Steven’s Strawberry.”

Wine competitions such as this one have long been events to showcase the best wines in specific regions, and increasingly, Kentucky wines are showing up on the winners’ lists. 

Madison said the number of wineries in the state continues to grow and stands at about 72 at last count, but the next step is to see vineyard acreage improve and ensuring there is growth there.

“We have the growth in the wineries, and we want to make sure the vineyard acreage keeps up with the growth in the wineries,” he said. 

Unbridled Vines was produced in cooperation with KGWC and KDA. For a list of broadcast dates and times, go to www.ket.org For more about information Kentucky’s grape and wine industry, go to www.kentuckywine.com